Lord and Ladies
by Harry50
Summary: With Voldemort resurrected, Dumbledore needed to find a shortcut, enabling the light faction to gain power and stand a chance against the dark. The one he found proved very enjoyable for Harry Potter and some girls. M for a reason.
1. Surprise

**Lord and Ladies**

 _With Voldemort resurrected, Dumbledore needed to find a shortcut, enabling the light faction to gain power and stand a chance against the dark. The one he found proved very enjoyable for Harry Potter and some girls._

 _M for a reason._

 _As usual, I don't have any rights to the wonderful world of Harry Potter. It's owned by J. K. Rowling and her business associates. I only like to play in it._

 **1 Surprise**

Harry woke up, trying to remember the pleasant dream he had just had, that was so atypical for him, yet even without opening his eyes, the dream just vanished. He still tried to enjoy that pleasant feeling he had in his dream, keeping his eyes closed and not moving at all. It didn't help. Instead of recalling his dream he noticed that the bed had a different feel to it and then that he was utterly naked. He didn't remember going naked to bed. He didn't really remember much of what had happened before going to bed or of anything that happened during the previous day. He clearly remembered the third task and what had happened after it, until he was eventually able to sleep, quite fitfully. He could barely recall meeting Cedric's parents and later talking with Ron and Hermione, after he'd been released from the hospital wing. He wasn't even sure he'd eaten dinner.

He then became aware of not being alone in bed. Somebody's head was lying on his chest. Judging by the scent and the long hair, it must have been Hermione. He could also feel two soft bumps pressed on his ribs. By the feeling his bare skin was giving him, these must have been female breasts. He blushed at the idea of Hermione being naked at his side. He was almost sure he was still dreaming, as Hermione would never sleep naked with him, or with any other boy, at least until she finished school – he felt quite sure about it.

He also felt two other bumps pressed on his back. He had no idea who that could be. Harry opened his eyes, trying to see what was really happening. It didn't help much, as the room was quite dark, yet he managed to see that he was not in the dorms, nor in the hospital wing, although he couldn't identify the room, certainly not without seeing it properly. He noticed an arm stretched over him. It didn't seem to come from the person behind him, nor from Hermione, who was cuddled at his chest, but it was too dark to see anything but an indistinct form behind Hermione.

He groaned internally. 'Even when being with two, possibly more, naked girls, I can't really enjoy the view.'

He was very soon becoming aware of another problem. His bladder was full and he urgently needed to go to the toilet, before he would embarrass himself. Wherever he happened to be, he was sure there would be some toilet facility nearby, if only he could reach it.

The darkness seemed to slowly lighten. He could see some heavy curtains blocking a window or two, on his left side. He couldn't move his head to the other direction, but he suspected he would find a door or two there, yet he first needed to disentangle himself from the girls. Easier said than done. He tried to push Hermione's head off his chest, only for her to move in her sleep, pushing herself more firmly on his body. He couldn't move in the other direction, as it was also blocked by a very feminine body. He lost his patience quite soon, as the pressure in his bladder became insupportable, pushing Hermione from his chest and moving back, awakening the girl there just as well. He didn't bother with niceties. He just crawled quickly down, noticing a door to the right of the bed and another, just in front of it, seemingly smaller. He checked it, finding what he was looking for, and closed the door behind him.

A short while later, he opened the door again, feeling relieved. He was surprised to find the room fully lighted. Somebody had probably opened the curtains, letting the bright sunshine in, nicely illuminating the three naked girls that were sitting on the bed's edge, waiting for him. He felt his cheeks getting hot, just as another part of him was becoming excited at the sight. He still managed to stammer, "Good Morning, girls."

Hermione was sitting between the two other girls. It took Harry a moment to identify them, never having seen much more than their faces before. One was Susan Bones, whose large breasts were evident even when wearing the school robes. He could now see these breasts in their full glory, and Susan didn't seem to mind his stare. The other took him a bit longer to identify. Could she be... No, that's impossible! Still.. He had never seen Daphne Greengrass smile at anyone, certainly not the shining, inviting smile that she was directing at him. Harry could now see that Daphne was a real blonde, as her pubic hair was just as light as the hair on her head. Noticing this made his body react even stronger, yet none of the girls seemed to mind.

His eyes finally found Hermione, his best friend and his secret crush for more than a year. Her breasts, although much smaller than Susan's, seemed even nicer, and her pubic hair was trimmed, leaving just a narrow strip of hair to accentuate her feminine crack. She was smiling at him, looking completely comfortable in the buff, something he would have never believed.

"Good morning, Harry," she said, patting the bed at her side. The two others just nodded.

Harry sat reluctantly. His stiff erection was too evident to hide, yet it didn't seem to embarrass the girls, although it embarrassed him.

"Do you remember what happened before you fell asleep?" Hermione asked him. The other girls seemed just as eager to hear his reply.

"Not really. I don't think I remember anything that happened after I left the hospital wing." Just speaking of that would have dampened his mood, if it wasn't for the view he was enjoying.

The girls seemed disappointed, yet Hermione asked, "Can you recall any dream?"

Harry shook his head. "I know I had very pleasant dreams, but I could remember nothing as soon as I woke up, except for the nice feeling they gave me." Looking at the three naked beauties once again, he added, "I suppose they were more than dreams, weren't they?"

He was fascinated to notice how Hermione turned into her "lecture mode" despite being utterly naked. "I can only tell you the part I'm aware of. You and I were called to the Headmaster's office just before dinner. Ron wasn't pleased to be left behind, but you made him aware of him going to eat dinner before we got a chance. Then, as soon as he left us, we were transported into this room, arriving naked." She blushed a bit at her own words.

"And then...?" Harry prompted her.

"It looks like our hormones kicked in. You looked me over and told me you had a crush on me, and I confessed having fallen in love with you even before I knew what falling in love meant. We were soon kissing and hugging and it didn't take long for us to be fully engaged in each other. When we calmed down, we saw Daphne standing at the foot of the bed, just as naked."

Harry blushed. Wouldn't Hermione be furious with him that he had taken advantage of her? She didn't seem to be, and... well, she had also taken advantage of him. Maybe it wasn't that bad...

Daphne took over. "The headmaster called me to his office as soon as I reached dinner. I was walking alone in the corridor when I was transported here, arriving naked. You were both too busy shagging to notice me, and you seemed to be enjoying it very much. When you reached your peak, you were suddenly engulfed in a golden mist and then there was a flash, signifying marriage, as far as I know. I believe you are now married."

Both Harry and Hermione looked shocked. "We're too young to be married. It's illegal," Hermione stated.

Daphne shook her head. "It may be illegal in the Muggle world, but Magic can't be restricted by law. Still, I may have misinterpreted what I saw. We must wait and see."

Hermione gave it a thought. "Alright. What happened next?"

Daphne smiled nervously. "I became highly aroused while looking at the two of you. Once you came down from your peak and moved a bit apart, I just pushed you aside and grabbed Harry. I'm not sure he even noticed it was no longer you that he was holding. I kissed him passionately, and it didn't take too long for him to respond and repeat the same actions with me. Once I came down from my peak, I saw you dreamily looking at us, while Susan was standing at the foot of the bed, in the same place I had been when I arrived. I moved aside, knowing very well what effect our actions had on her."

It was Susan's turn to speak. "I probably arrived shortly after you and Daphne started, although you didn't seem to notice me. I watched how you made love tenderly and passionately and I felt I wanted to be part of it as well. After you reached your peak, which was accompanied by another bright flash, I moved onto the bed, occupying the place that Daphne had vacated. You seemed quite eager, though, despite having just had a magnificent release. I thought it had something to do with us being young teens."

Susan blushed nicely, her face reddening almost to the color of her hair. Harry instinctively took her hand in his to calm her down. She smiled thankfully at him and continued. "It probably went quite similar to the other two shags. Once it was over, you just fell asleep. I hugged your back and Hermione snuggled into you, while Daphne hugged the three of us and we all fell asleep, so it seems."

Hermione thought for a moment. "There was a bright flash when you reached your peak, as well as when Daphne did. If that's a sign of marriage, then the three of us are married to Harry."

Harry didn't want to think of that. Getting married was frightening. He didn't want to be like his uncle with his aunt, nor like Mr. Weasley. Instead, he noticed something was missing in Susan's story. "But how did you get here?" he asked.

Susan shrugged. "Just like you. A house elf asked me to go to the headmaster's office about half through dinner. I barely left the great hall when I was whisked here."

"Well, now I think we may safely assume that our esteemed headmaster is behind this," Hermione said. "We still don't know what it all means nor why it all happened, but before we can proceed, I think there's a not-so-small matter that we should resolve first." She turned a predatory glance at Harry while her hand grabbed his erect manhood. "Care for a repeat performance of last night?"

While listening to the girls, some fragments of memories seemed to be awakened in Harry's mind. It wasn't much, but it was enough to convince him that doing it all again would probably be a very pleasant experience.

He found sating Hermione very nice. He also felt like he was forming a much deeper connection with her than mere friendship, yet he couldn't really think about it, as neither Daphne nor Susan would give up their share. He found them both almost as nice as Hermione. He still wondered why they were acting the way they did, but he surely had no reason to complain.

After a while, they were all lying in bed, all sweaty and breathing heavily. Harry was hugging the three girls as well as he could, thinking that he might just like being married to them, if this meant such a morning activity each day.

With his hormones temporarily quietened, he could finally pay some more attention to his environment. The bed they had used was quite large. It didn't have a canopy, but it still sported four corner poles that were richly engraved. The headboard was also made of the same solid wood and had some intricate patterns engraved in it, seemingly under a flat surface. The patterns were moving slowly, indicating that it was a magical bed.

Looking farther, he noticed the window and the deep red curtains. Judging by the angle of the sun rays, it was probably quite late in the morning, and the heavy curtains had kept the room dark despite the broad daylight. He noticed some gold trimming upon the curtains and on the window frames, as well as on the doors. Wherever this room was, it was certainly a rich house.

"I wonder where we are," he said, not expecting an answer.

A "pop" was heard, and then, "Why, you are at home, Master, at Potter Manor. Would you like breakfast in bed, or do you prefer to go down to the dining room?"

Harry was surprised to see a house-elf there, wearing a very elegant (and quite antique looking) uniform. "We have no clothes here," he noted.

"Oh, your clothes are in the wardrobe, where they belong, and your wands are on the night-tables."

"And where is that wardrobe?" Harry asked.

The house elf pointed at the wall behind the bed, a bit at the side, where there was another door that Harry hadn't noticed before. This still didn't explain how they had reached this awkward situation, but he didn't feel like going out of bed yet. Cuddling with his three beauties seemed quite nice.

"I think you should bring us breakfast here. We shall then take a shower and put some clothes on, before taking a tour of this place. How shall we call you?"

"Twinkle, Master. I'll bring your breakfast now."

Another soft "pop" was heard as the house elf disappeared. He returned almost at once, carrying a long tray, laden with food, which he moved over the bed, letting it float in mid air, just at the comfortable height for the four teens to eat.

* * *

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	2. Potter Manor

**2 Potter Manor**

Harry enjoyed watching the three girls while he ate. Each was beautiful in a different way. Hermione had medium length bushy brown hair, brown eyes, and a beautiful face. Even her big front teeth, that had slightly marred her beauty, had been corrected some months earlier, courtesy of Malfoy's curse. Her firm breasts, crowned by darker areolas and nipples, were the smallest, yet just the right size for him to fondle. Her body was perfect, her mind sharp, and her memory like an encyclopedia. He could finally understand that he loved her dearly.

Daphne was a bit taller, with long blond hair that reached her chest, beautiful marble-like face, slightly larger breasts and almost as sharp a mind. He had never seen her taking part in Malfoy's activities. Despite her reputation as cold and unfeeling, she had been more than warm and loving towards him since arriving there. Given some time, Harry was sure he could love her.

Susan was about the same height as Hermione, with dark red hair that reached almost to her thighs, when let loose, and almost freckle-free face, that was much more than pretty. Her most prominent assets – her breasts – were quite a bit larger than those of the other girls, but were round and firm just the same. She was a bit wider at the hips than the other two, but it seemed to make her look even more feminine. He also knew she was the best student in her class. Despite her being somewhat nasty towards him at the beginning of the year, as all Hufflepuffs had been, he had known her as a very nice and caring person. He could easily fall in love with her as well.

The floating tray vanished, along with what it carried, as soon as they all finished eating.

"Shouldn't we take a shower now?" Hermione suggested.

Harry thought each would shower alone. The girls seemed to have a different idea. They all walked together to the bathroom, with Hermione entwining her hand with his, practically forcing him to come along. Now, without the urgency he felt during his first visit in that room, he noticed that there was a large bath there, one that could easily hold them all together, with room for a few more, as well as a shower stall, more than large enough to allow them all to shower together.

Surrounded by three naked girls, showering soon turned into much more, with Harry making love to Hermione once again. The other two didn't seem to mind. They used the large towels found at the bathroom to dry themselves and then moved, still completely naked, to the wardrobe.

"Wow!" was the first thing Harry said as he went in. There were clearly four sections in the wardrobe: one (the smallest) for him and one for each of the girls, holding a multitude of clothes in the right size and appropriate styles and colors for them. Their school robes were folded nicely on the four dressers present.

"What should we wear?" Hermione said, thinking loudly. "We don't need the school robes yet, as we're probably staying here at least a bit longer. We don't need to be elegant either, as I don't think we're expecting any visitors. It also looks like we're all enjoying staying nude with Harry, so..."

She looked over the clothes in the section that was clearly hers and picked a simple summer tunic, that she pulled over her head, and then looked at the mirror. It fit her nicely, and was loose enough to allow Harry's hands to caress whichever part of her body that he wanted. "Yes, that should be enough for now," she smiled at her reflection in the mirror.

While the other two girls looked for something similar in their sections, Hermione found a shirt and a pair of shorts for Harry and he put them on obediently, noticing that everything in his wardrobe was of high quality, even the most casual garments. He then glanced at the girls. Each was wearing a short, sleeveless summer dress, that didn't reach lower than her upper thighs, and with low enough neckline to expose almost half her breasts. None was wearing any underwear. He liked the view very much, yet his body didn't respond to it immediately. Having had four shags since waking up seemed to have calmed it down a bit.

"Don't you want to explore Potter Manor?" Hermione asked, making him stop staring.

"Oh, I sure do, but I think we may need a guide. What was his name?..."

"You mean Twinke?"

The named house elf materialized in front of them. "What can I do for Master and Mistresses?"

Harry tried not to think of what that last word meant. He was not yet ready to think of marriage. "Can you show us around, so that we can get to know this place? None of us has ever been here."

Twinkle smiled sadly. "Well, Master has been here as a small baby, before..."

"Please only call me Harry. I don't feel old enough to be called 'Master'."

"As you like it, Harry. Will you please follow me?"

Twinkle opened the bedroom's main door, which was actually two doors wide, and the youngsters followed him. Hermione grabbed Harry's arm and walked at his side. The other two followed behind them. None seemed bothered with her possessive behavior.

Potter Manor was a very big house. The floor where the bedroom was located also had about twenty other bedrooms, all very elegant. "These are for family and close friends. Some were also used as nursery, but not during the last two centuries," Twinkle explained, leading them down to the main entrance on the ground floor.

Twinkle seemed to know his masters. "The kitchen has the best working conditions for house elves," he emphasized when visiting that place. He also showed them the section with the rooms reserved for the house elves. "There's room enough here for more than a hundred, although we currently house only twelve, as there's no need for more. The rest went to help at the other Potter possessions."

"How many are there?" Harry asked, fearing Hermione's reaction.

"There used to be about fifty, when the house was lived in. There used to be many balls and many guests would stay for a while as well. Then there are about thirty more who handle your other houses. The fields, the groves and the vineyard used to be worked mainly by seasonal Muggle workers. Now the house elves handle them instead."

"Are you being paid?" Hermione asked. This made both Daphne and Susan giggle.

Twinkle seemed offended. "Of course not! We are family! We get all we need and we help as needed, just like every family member does."

"I'll explain this later, if you like," Daphne told her.

Hermione nodded reluctantly and kept her mouth shut.

They ended their tour in the library, that was about as large as the one at Hogwarts. Harry knew that Hermione could lose herself there for hours, or even days. He was a bit surprised to see that the other two were almost as excited to see the library. As they started looking around, he thought he could also find something interesting. Twinkle looked at them with a smile. "Mistress Lilly also loved the library," he said softly, for only Harry to hear. Harry thought there was also a tear in Twinkle's eye, as the small creature wiped his eyes with his hand.

Twinkle looked at the teens. "I'll leave you here for now. Should I bring lunch here, or would you like to have lunch in the dining room?"

Harry looked at the girls and smiled. "If you bring it here, we won't be able to take them out. I think it's better if you serve lunch somewhere else. Besides, we haven't visited the grounds yet."

"Sure, Harry. I'll come take you for lunch in about an hour."

Despite his reluctance, Harry found a few books of interest. There were several books about Quidditch and some about broom flying and broom design. He was so engrossed in his reading, that he didn't even notice when Twinkle came to call them for lunch. It made Hermione laugh. "You said you were not interested in books," she teased him.

He just laughed and grabbed her hand, feeling quite happy to be with her. Susan reluctantly took his other hand. Harry smiled at her, making her know it was fine.

They were still enjoying lunch when a bright flash shone at the corner of the dining room and a phoenix appeared. It flew around, high above their heads and chirped happily, finally landing on Harry's shoulder, holding a folded parchment in its talons. Harry took it, unfolded it and read it loudly, after a short glance.

" _Lord Potter, Ladies,_

 _I hope you are all well and enjoying this unexpected respite. You may keep enjoying it until after dinner, when I'd like you back at Hogwarts, where you'll get the explanations to this unusual situation you are in._

 _In case you haven't found out yet, you are at Potter Manor – which is hidden in ways I don't even know, yet allows access to family and close friends. I'm sure it is well equipped to supply all your needs until you come back._

 _Fawkes will come soon after dinner to bring you back. You may choose to hold his tail for the ride and I can also provide a portkey, if you want. Just let me know what you prefer._

 _Until then, enjoy the company of each other and have fun._

 _Albus Dumbledore."_

Harry lifted his eyes. "Well, what do you say?"

Hermione smiled. "It just confirms our suspicion, that he's the one behind this. Still, if we have enough time, why not make good use of it?"

Knowing Hermione, he was almost sure she was referring to the library. Luckily, Twinkle was already there. Eager to show them the grounds.

They didn't spend much time on that. The estate grounds extended quite a bit, yet there wasn't much to see in most of it, being used to grow various crops and fruits. There was a very elegant garden surrounding the manor, a full size Quidditch field, a stable with some fine horses, with a riding track near it, and an Olympic-size swimming pool, close to the back door of the manor house. The girls decided to spend some time at the pool, after the tour. They pulled their dresses over their heads and threw them aside, staying completely naked. They urged Harry to remove his clothes as well.

This had an unmistakeable effect on Harry's anatomy. Hermione smirked. "Somebody here seems to be quite eager..."

She looked at the other girls. "I think I should be last this time, as I've already enjoyed him twice today."

Susan was not one to let the opportunity pass. She grabbed Harry's erection and made him come with her to a nearby tanning bed, where she pushed him on his back and straddled his hips. Harry cooperated willingly. He enjoyed seeing her large tits bounce as she rode him, reaching her peak quite quickly and dragging him to his own peak as well. She stayed a bit longer, putting her head on his chest, as he caressed her red stresses, enjoying the feeling of her large breasts pressed onto his body.

Daphne was more patient. She waited for Susan to leave her comfortable perch before lying on the adjacent tanning bed and inviting Harry between her thighs. It went only a bit slower, yet both reached their peaks together. Harry put his head on her chest, just between her breasts, enjoying the feeling. It was not the same as with Susan, but he enjoyed it just as much.

When he moved away, Harry was surprised to find Hermione swimming. He actually enjoyed the view. He jumped into the water and joined her, swimming at her side.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

"I sure do. I still don't understand why the three of you are suddenly interested in me in **that** way, but I'm surely not complaining. Even if I later find out it has been only a dream or an illusion, it's still the best thing that happened to me for... ever!"

"I'm sure it's not a dream. The water is cool, the sun is hot, the horses smelled, and my first time with you hurt a bit, as I've been a virgin before. Now, are you invigorated enough to be with me as well?"

"I want to always be with you," he answered seriously, making her smile.

"Come and prove it," she said teasingly, standing up and walking out of the pool, pointing at a wide inflatable mattress that lay near the pool.

Harry first kissed her passionately, and Hermione responded with just the same passion. Soon enough they were on that mattress enjoying each other fully, rolling in each other's arms and finally reaching a common peak. Although physically sated, they continued to kiss and caress each other for quite a while.

When they finally parted, Harry was surprised to see the other two looking at him with some longing in their eyes. "What is it?" he asked, his eyes wandering from one to the other repeatedly.

"It's just so beautiful, seeing how you two love each other so much. I wish I was loved as well," Susan said. Daphne nodded at her words.

Harry frowned. He had noticed something change in the way he felt about these two girls, but he wasn't sure what. Now it was becoming clearer. "I think I'm falling in love with both of you. It may take some time, but I feel that I'm going to love you as well. If we're married, as you've told me, then it should work better if we love each other, I believe."

Hermione looked at him with a fond smile, and then turned practical. "I believe we've spent enough time in the sun. We may get sun burns if we stay any longer. Let's go in now. I believe a shower, or maybe a bath, is in order."

None seemed inclined to put her dress on. They just wore their sandals, leaving their dresses near the pool. Evidently, the house-elves would take care of them.

It took a bit of wandering around before they found their bedroom – the master bedroom of the manor. By then, they felt too tired for a bath. A quick shower later, they all crowded in bed, still naked. Hermione and Daphne cuddled into Harry. Susan just hugged the three of them and they all drifted to sleep.

* * *

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	3. Headmaster's Office

_**You're going to find answers to some of the questions raised about the previous chapters. Enjoy!**_

* * *

 **3 Headmaster's Office**

They spent the rest of the afternoon in bed. After sleeping a bit, Harry was ready to cuddle with the girls some more, caressing, kissing and shagging them all once again, barely leaving some time for a really quick shower before dinner. Somehow, even thinking of being married to them seemed less frightening after such an afternoon.

Twinkle served them dinner. It was so delicious that it put to shame even the best meals at Hogwarts. "Potter Chefs are trained by the best," Twinkle told them proudly.

Yet they couldn't think solely of their food. All four knew they were going back to Hogwarts soon after dinner and were contemplating how the day spent together, along with whatever the headmaster would tell them, could affect their lives.

"Why did you have sex with me the first time?" Harry asked. He already knew about Hermione, but none of the other had explained this.

Susan shrugged. "I've always admired you, yet being in different houses made it very difficult to try to get close to you. Besides, whenever I looked at you, you were with either Hermione or Ron by your side. I was angry at you when I thought you were trying to steal the glory from our champion, but I soon understood it. You really deserved to win the tournament."

Harry grimaced, remembering just too well what happened to Cedric merely two days earlier. Luckily, Susan didn't notice.

"When I came here, seeing you having sex with Daphne and seeing Hermione naked nearby, I thought this was the chance I was waiting for, although not in exactly the way I had always thought about it. You proved me right, giving me the best first time I could have thought of, and it barely even hurt." She still blushed nicely at the thought.

Harry now looked at Daphne, expecting her to explain.

She gave it a bit of thought before speaking. "I also thought you were quite nice, yet being a Slytherin, I had no chance getting close to you, so I kept it secret. Besides, my parents told me since I was a little girl that I had a contract betrothal with someone and I shouldn't be too friendly with boys. I really don't know how this may affect them, especially since it seems that we're married now. I hope it wouldn't cause them trouble."

"But you weren't reluctant at all when you arrived," Harry noted. By now he had recalled most of the memories from the previous evening.

She smiled. "I was naked and horny, as were you. I had already witnessed the way you made love to Hermione. It was just natural to grab my chance, and damn the consequences."

The last word had a certain effect on Hermione. "Oh, did any of you use the contraceptive charm?"

The girls paled. "I didn't see my wand when I arrived, nor noticed it this morning, and I only took it when we changed into our school robes, before going for dinner," Daphne said. Susan nodded, as if saying the same.

Hermione sighed. "I didn't use it either. Let's hope we're lucky enough not to get pregnant before we finish school. We should really be more cautious, you know." She looked at the others, including Harry in her glance. He felt a bit uncomfortable at not thinking of that himself, yet it was his first time as well. He had no previous experience to guide him.

They weren't able to think of this much longer, as Fawkes arrived with a flash. They all finished eating, wiped their faces and their hands and stood up. Fawkes presented its tail, letting them grab tightly at it. A moment later, they were all standing in the headmaster's office.

"Welcome back!" Dumbledore greeted them. "I hope you enjoyed your day away from school. Please take a seat."

Four chairs were standing in front of his table. Harry sat down, with Hermione at one side, and the two girls at the other. He looked at Dumbledore, noticing that the man looked extremely tired, much worse than he had ever seen him, yet there was a certain twinkle in his eyes that hadn't been there just two days earlier.

Dumbledore looked at the four expectant faces. He hoped they wouldn't be too mad at him after hearing what he needed to tell them. "I know you expect a few answers, but please humor an old man and let me tell you this my way. I'd first like to tell you about what preceded your escapade."

He took a deep breath. Harry seemed uncomfortable – he already knew why; Hermione looked eager to hear some more and the other girls looked curious, not having the slightest idea what he wanted to talk about. "As you all know, things didn't go well during the third task of the tournament. We had to take two champions out of the maze. The other two, Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory, reached the trophy at the center of the maze and grabbed it together, yet it didn't bring them in front of the judges' table, as expected. It brought them somewhere else, where Cedric was killed by a Death Eater and Harry was forced to take part in a very dark ritual, where some blood was forcefully taken from him and used in the resurrection of the dark lord known as Voldemort."

Both Daphne and Susan gasped. Although this had been rumored and even hinted at by the headmaster during the previous day's breakfast, this was the first time they heard this said so precisely.

"Voldemort then called his loyal and tried to duel Mr. Potter, intending to kill him, to show everybody that Harry was just an insignificant boy. He failed. Some quirk in the wands allowed Harry to stall the dark lord for long enough to grab Cedric and the cup and come back to school."

All girls gasped.

"I'll spare you some of the details for now. You already know that the Minister wouldn't hear any of that. He decided that Mr. Potter's story could not be true and Voldemort could not be back. He was wrong in both aspects. I've been contemplating the ways to solve this problem since he left."

Dumbledore sighed. "I've never believed that Voldemort was gone for good after that fateful Halloween. I was sure that Harry would have to fight him once again and the outcome could not be assured. I also hoped we had more time until then, allowing Mr. Potter have as normal a childhood as possible and giving him more years to get ready after finishing school. This is evidently not the case now."

Despite the good mood he had experienced since waking up, Harry felt his mood change for the worse. Well, he hadn't really expected that happiness to last. Nothing good ever did, for him. Dumbledore kept talking.

"As Mr. Potter is crucial in defeating Voldemort, I was thinking of how to enhance his powers in any possible ways. It was clear to everyone that Ms. Granger was very close to him. I suspected there was some deep love there, even if both were still unaware of it. She has already helped him a lot, giving him the benefit of her mind and memory, along with her undeniable talent at casting and brewing. I was sure that if they were given the right chance, they would discover their love and act on it. Such union would greatly enhance the powers Mr. Potter can use, but that was still not enough."

He now looked at Daphne. "I'm sure you're aware of having a betrothal contract since you were a baby, aren't you?"

Daphne nodded.

"As the headmaster of this school, I need to know of such contracts, if only to protect the children from doing anything that could have contractual consequences. That's why I know of the contract your parents signed with Mr. Potter's parents even before you were both born. While breaking it would have had no significant consequences, I thought that fulfilling it, even if a bit early, could give Mr. Potter a significant boost, about as much as uniting with Ms. Granger would."

Daphne looked pleasantly surprised, yet eager to ask a bit more. The headmaster lifted his hand, signifying that she could ask him later, but not at the moment.

"The Potter family also had a long standing alliance with the Bones. This alliance has never been cemented with a marriage, as whenever one family had children ready for marriage, the other had none that could fit. I found it interesting that now, when none of the elder family members is still alive, both families have appropriate candidates for that. Seeing that Ms. Bones also had a little crush on Mr. Potter, I thought it was worth a try."

Susan frowned. Her aunt was still alive, yet she was Bones by marriage, not by blood. She had never given it a thought before.

Dumbledore went on. "I had to act swiftly, as the other side would not wait for us to be ready before striking. I also knew that I could do almost nothing once you left school for the summer vacation. That's why you had an unexpected day away from school."

He grimaced as he continued. "I have to apologize for acting without first consulting with you or with your parents, but the time was too short and I had to get things moving before it became too late. You probably understand already that I'm the one who sent you to Potter Manor, using a certain spell that also separated you from your clothing. I think it's safe to say that you weren't bothered too much by the lack of clothes."

The four teens nodded, making a knowing smile appear on the old face. "I should also reassure you that I cast the contraceptive charm on each and every one of the ladies here, knowing that getting pregnant at his young age was not in any of their plans. You should cast it again in case you want to continue with that kind of entertainment, as it only holds for twenty six hours, at most." He was content at seeing the teens get less stressed.

He turned serious again. "To assure your privacy and the secrecy of this whole operation, I cast some redirecting charms. Any mail addressed to you reached me during your absence, so that nobody could trace it to where you were. It so happens that you did get some mail."

He took some envelopes from a pile on his desk, giving each girl two, while Harry got six. "You've got one letter from the Ministry and one from Gringotts each. Mr. Potter also got two for every bond he created with each of you. I suggest you open them."

Hermione was eager to open hers first. She glanced quickly and gasped, turning to Daphne. "You were correct in your explanations," she told her.

Harry was much slower, yet he already had the letter concerning Hermione open, as it was at the top of the pile.

" _Dear Mr. Potter,_

 _We are happy to acknowledge your soul bond with Ms. Hermione Granger, registered today at 18:53, making you both married to each other._

 _This bond also emancipated you, giving you all the rights and duties of adult wizards and witches._

 _We, at the bureau, are happy to congratulate you and your new wife and to wish you a long and fertile marriage."_

He felt Hermione's hand holding his and pressing lightly, as if assuring him of her continuous support. He pressed back before moving to the next letter. Hermione moved hers at its side, noticing they were both identical.

" _Dear Lord and Lady Potter,_

 _Please accept our congratulations for your bond and marriage. You should also know that due to the change in your status we advise you to come at your earliest convenience to discuss the changes with your account manager._

 _On behalf of the whole Gringotts staff,_

 _Sharpclaw,_

 _The main Potter Account Manager"_

Harry looked questioningly at Daphne, who sat at his other side.

"My letter looks about the same, except that it's only a marriage bond and they address us as Lord and Lady Slytherin," she said, looking a bit confused.

"And mine addresses Lord and Lady Hufflepuff," Susan commented.

Harry turned his eyes to the headmaster, as did the girls.

Dumbledore looked content. "Well, I expected that much. Let me explain a bit about your titles, though, as they are another reason for what I did. Harry, you know that you are the only remaining Potter. As your family has been a very noble one, it's head – you, in this case – is entitled as Lord. This is not the same Lordship as in Muggle nobility, though, but a separate, independent one. Yet your family holds more than one Lordship. The Potter are known to be direct descendants of Gryffindor. Some other families are also descendants, yet Potter is the only one that goes through the male line and stayed unbroken, making you the heir of Gryffindor, hence – Lord Gryffindor. As everybody knows, Voldemort claimed to be the Slytherin heir. By defeating him as a toddler, you also gained that Lordship. His resurrection doesn't count in this case."

He now turned to Susan. "You probably know that the Bones family is the only descendant of Huffelpuff, thus inheriting the title. You are Lady Hufflepuff, and your husband is by default, Lord Hufflepuff."

He now addressed them all again. "You may have noticed that during your medical tests in the first few weeks of first year, you were requested to give a few drops of blood. Those growing in Muggle environment are accustomed to giving some blood samples for various medical tests, and think nothing of it. Yet these samples are used to check various aspects of your magic and your ancestry by methods that are kept secret, only known to the Goblins. We usually find some interesting results, like children whose real fathers are not the ones they are known to be, or some magical ancestors of muggleborn students and some unexpected magical abilities, usually unknown even to the person under test. These tests have shown us that Lily Evans was a direct descendant of Slytherin, in an unbroken line, unlike the Gaunt line, which Voldemort is the last of, that was broken twice. This makes you, Harry, the heir of Slytherin in more than one way. These tests also revealed that Ms. Granger is the direct descendant of a line that was thought extinct. You all know that Rowena Ravenclaw had a daughter that died childless. What has been unknown before is that she had another child, a squib son. You, my dear, are the last of that line, making you Lady Ravenclaw."

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	4. End of Term

**4 End of Term**

The teens sat silently, each trying to understand what they were told. Hermione was the first to talk.

"That means that Harry owns half the school, while Susan and I own the other half. Does it mean that we can now control the school?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Precisely so, Lady Ravenclaw. Hogwarts has always been a private school. The board of directors was set by the founders as a way to direct the school when the heirs were not able or not disposed to do it themselves. If you take control of the school, you may dismiss the board, gaining the school quite a bit of money that is now spent on the salaries for the board members, and ridding the school of the political influence that keeps it so conservative."

"What should we do to gain control and dismiss the board?" It was Harry who asked this time.

"The first step is to make your Lordships recognized. You may later need to make them publicly known, but not immediately. For that you need to go to Gringotts, as your letters suggest, and take your Lord and Lady rings. When you put them on, you become officially recognized as the bearer of the appropriate title. Once you have that, you may claim your seats in the Wizengamot, which are currently held by Ministry appointed delegates. As you have the Potter, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff and Peverell seats, it means six less seats for the ministry and six more seats for the truth. This will change the Wizengamot enough to force the Minister to take steps against Voldemort and his supporters."

"We should then go to Gringotts immediately," Harry said.

"Not really," Dumbledore calmed him with a smile. "Just like you, the Wizengamot is going on vacation for the summer. It met last week and its next scheduled meeting is a week after school starts. No need to attract undue attention before we can act. I suggest you go back to your dorms and act normally for the few days remaining until the summer vacation. Don't tell anyone about your bond or your marriages. I'll let your parents or guardians know that you're not going to spend the summer with them, but they may still come to collect you at the train station. We shall then all meet someplace and continue from there."

This made the teens pale. Harry was thinking of meeting his parents-in-law and wasn't sure if he'd rather face the Dursleys again. Hermione was also thinking of her parents and how they might react to her getting married before reaching sixteen. Daphne wasn't sure of her parents' reaction either, despite learning that Harry had always been her intended. She was still too young – not yet fifteen. Susan wasn't sure either. Getting the boy she wanted was nice, but presenting him to her aunt was quite a different story.

Dumbledore smiled. "Don't worry, I'll do most of the talking there." He turned to Harry. "I'll have Mr. Lupin escort you from the train station, if that's alright with you."

Harry smiled. He really liked Moony and was quite glad of the opportunity to meet him.

"What should we say when our dorm mates ask about the time we weren't here?" Susan asked.

"You can say that the Headmaster had you do something for the farewell ceremony. Unfortunately, it will not be a happy farewell this time. Now, I believe you should go back to your dorms and start packing."

Harry still gave a passionate kiss to Susan and then to Daphne before they parted ways. "Don't you want your kiss now as well?" he asked Hermione.

She laughed. "I can enjoy your company for the rest of the evening, using only a 'notice-me-not' charm, and you also have the invisibility cloak, if we want."

He smiled at her. "Sure!"

Not unexpectedly, Ron was the first to tackle them in the common room. "Where have you two been? I've been looking for you since yesterday's dinner."

Hermione replied, using her most intimidating tone, "The headmaster needed us to do something for him, as he asked a few other students. It's done now, and both Harry and I are back here. Nothing to worry about."

Ron looked like he wanted to argue, but then shrugged and turned to Harry. "Care for a game of chess?"

Hermione smiled and looked at Harry. "Go play. Maybe you'll finally win a game."

It didn't happen. After losing the third game, Harry gave up and joined a group of students talking about their plans for the vacation. None mentioned the events after the third task and all tried to behave like everything was normal, yet the tension was palpable. He then noticed Hermione sitting alone on the couch and reading a book. He plopped at her side. She lifted her eyes and smiled at him. "You're feeling awkward?" It was more a statement than a question.

He nodded. "I wonder what we'll do next. I hate it when I feel that I have no control over my life."

"Hey, it's normal for children our age to have other dictate their lives," she reminded him.

"Well, maybe, but it usually is people who care for you, or even love you. I'm not sure how much the headmaster fits that description."

She looked around and then took her wand and cast a silence ward before talking some more. "Well, you now have three wives who love you, and soon enough you'll be able to conduct your own life. Once we take our rings, we no longer need any guardians, although we shall probably keep consulting with others for a long time."

Harry was still reluctant. "I'm sure you love me and have my best interest in mind, but I don't yet know about the other..."

"They love you, I have no doubt about it. A girl would not willingly give her virginity to a boy she doesn't love, and both were more than willing. I saw them, you know."

"It doesn't help," Harry moaned, feeling his body react to the images in his mind. Hermione took his hand and pressed lightly.

"Don't worry. In two more days we'll be able to go back to the Manor and do as we please. Still, if you really want, we can use the invisibility cloak..." There was some suggestiveness in her voice.

Harry shrugged. "I don't really need that right now. I had more than enough earlier, you know. Besides, we shouldn't attract undue attention until we make it officially known."

"Alright," she smiled, "but you still owe me a kiss."

Harry looked around and cast a strong privacy charm before leaning to Hermione and kissing her lips tenderly and passionately. Hermione responded just the same, yet they stopped short of making it a snog.

/\/\/\

In the Slytherin dorms, Daphne only had her friend Tracey to appease. "Why would he call you to do his errands? Although the top student in class, you're not any teacher's favorite and he's never shown any interest in you before."

"I don't know why he chose me. He just sent me away, let me stay the night there and bring something back this afternoon. He asked his phoenix to move me there and back. He said some other students were doing similar errands for him," Daphne told her.

"Yes, I've heard that Susan Bones was also missing."

"There you are! She was probably doing a similar errand for the headmaster. Now, I can see you've already started packing. Can you help me a bit? I'm a day behind my schedule."

Daphne started preparing her stuff but then stopped in the middle of her packing, looking a bit dreamy. Tracey noticed. "What now?" she asked.

Daphne tried not to blush. "I just remembered a boy I've seen there. He may become interesting in two or three years, you know."

"The Ice Queen getting interested in boys?! That's some worthy news!"

"Oh, no, you don't! I'm not interested in anybody right now, but a girl may dream, doesn't she?"

Tracey laughed. "Well, as much as you like to pretend otherwise, you're still human. I'm sure you will eventually find your Mr. Right and give in to him."

Daphne only nodded, smiling internally. 'I've already found him and it was magnificent. I can hardly wait until we can be together again.'

/\/\/\

Susan had easier time in the Hufflepuff dorms. They accepted her explanations and didn't ask for more. Her friend Hannah was worried still, though. "Are you sure you are alright? You look a bit more pensive than usual and you walk a bit differently. Are you sure that nothing happened?"

Susan smiled at her. "I didn't say that nothing happened, but everything that did was good. I promise to tell you more after I tell my aunt. It wouldn't do to tell you first, you know."

Hannah smiled. "I don't care, as long as you are content."

/\/\/\

The next day was almost as stressful. Both foreign schools were leaving after dinner and everything seemed to burst with activity, yet it was much quieter than normal. Most students ignored Harry and kept away from him. He spent the day with only Hermione and Ron, wishing his other wives could join them.

Fleur came to say goodbye during dinner, and Krum did the same a few minutes later. Both seemed sad. Harry couldn't guess if it was due to the events of the last task or due to them leaving. He didn't really care too much either.

Harry slept fitfully during the last night at school. He had some nightmares that kept waking him up, although his scar didn't hurt. He was also thinking of the looming meeting with his wives' families and that didn't help him sleep either.

He was thankful to have Hermione with him on the train, at least. He was glad that Susan and Hannah joined them soon after the train started moving, staying for quite a long visit, although it was completely innocent. Still nobody was too happy during the ride. Not even the Weasley twins could change much, yet Harry gave them the money he won during the tournament, to help them open a joke shop. He was sure everybody would soon need some laughs.

Remus was already waiting for Harry when he descended the train, engulfing him in a big hug. Harry didn't escape another hug by Mrs. Weasley, though, and a shy hug and kiss from Ginny. He watched Daphne and Susan depart and then accompanied Hermione to the barrier, where he kissed her furtively before she passed the barrier and vanished.

"Hold tight and I will apparate us both to your apartment in Diagon Alley. We shall wait there for the others to come," Remus told Harry, after shrinking his luggage and putting it in his pocket. Harry grabbed the hand tightly. A moment later, he was standing in the entrance hall of a large apartment. It took him a bit to overcome the nausea caused by the magical travel. He then looked around. The apartment was located across the street from Gringotts, seen through the large window in the living room. It had three bedrooms, a small study with some books in it, a dining room and a kitchen, where a house elf was busy preparing some refreshments.

"Who are you?" he asked the house elf.

"Thimble, at your service, Harry."

"Do you know how many people are expected?"

"The Grangers – three; the Greengrass – three; the Bones – two; you and Mr. Lupin – two and the headmaster is bringing an additional guest – two; total – twelve. I believe you'll all stay for dinner as well," Thimble said.

"Will you cope with that alone?"

Thimble smiled. "I can cope with double the number with no problems, and I can always call some more house elves for help. Now, I think you have a guest to entertain."

Harry joined Remus in the living room. "How are you doing these days?" he asked.

Remus shrugged. "I had better times, you know, and much worse times as well. I'm doing fine, everything considered. What about you? The headmaster wouldn't tell me anything. 'You'll find out soon enough,' he told me."

"He's probably right. You already know about the third task, don't you?"

Remus's face hardened. "Yes, I was told everything about it. I'm sorry you had to suffer this, to see somebody killed by your side and be unable to help. At least you survived."

"Yes, I did. No thanks to Dumbledore or the Ministry."

"Well, Dumbledore tried to..."

"He could do better than that! He may just be taking too much on himself and becoming unable to cope with it all, yet that is no excuse, really."

Remus sighed. "You're probably right."

"How come you could apparate me in here? I thought we'd come to the other side of the door."

Remus smiled sadly. "Your father and I spent some time here as teens. He then keyed me into the wards, as well as Sirius. Peter has never come here, though."

There was a knock on the door. Harry opened it to find Dumbledore standing there with a large black dog at his side. He let them in.

"I thought Sirius could apparate in here directly," Remus said.

"He can, but we didn't dare alert the Ministry. Taking my dog along would cause no problems, though." He looked down at the large dog and smiled. "I told him he should stay that way until after I tell his story to our guests. No need to alarm them prematurely."

The dog waggled its tail happily and barked once.

They were soon joined by the other guests. Last to arrive were Daphne and her parents. "We had to leave Astoria with some friends first, as your letter made it clear that her presence was not welcome at this time," Lady Greengrass apologized.

Nobody seemed surprised when Hermione took her place on the sofa, at Harry's side, once the introductions were over. It was a bit of surprise for most when both Daphne and Susan did the same, yet most adults assumed that they just wanted to be with their age-mates.

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	5. Facing the Facts

**5 Facing the Facts**

With everybody sitting comfortably, Dumbledore started talking. "Most of you are already aware of what happened after the third task, but let me give you a brief introduction and some more details than I believe you have."

He went on, describing the events as clearly as possible. The big dog came close to Harry and put its muzzle on his knees, whining softly. Hermione hugged Harry tightly, but stayed alert to the explanations, as did the other girls.

"...So, to sum it up – the current Minister refuses to acknowledge the facts and refuses to do anything to prevent Voldemort from gaining power. Knowing that, I needed to find some other way to act. It then occurred to me that the only obstacle for Harry regaining his seats and his influence at the Wizengamot is his youth. Although some suggested that making him a champion was equivalent to emancipating him, that is not the case, according to Ministry's documents. I had to find another way. I knew of Daphne's betrothal, but it could not be acted on directly. It had to be done in a different way. I also noticed that Susan had a crush on Harry, or maybe more than a crush, but the only girl Harry was paying attention to was Hermione. The closeness between them made me believe that given the right circumstances, it could turn into more."

Harry was finally paying attention, yet the headmaster seemed to skip over the more embarrassing details.

"I sent Harry and Hermione to Potter Manor alone, hoping they would confess their love and act on it. A bit later I let Daphne join them and finally I sent Susan there as well. I was not disappointed. As soon enough I found they were receiving letters from both the Ministry and Gringotts. I didn't need to open them to know what they meant. The three young ladies are now legally married with Harry, making them all legally adult."

"But they're still children!" Hermione's mother protested.

"That's true in the non-magical world, but magic dictates different laws. Once the young people had shown their love to each other and indicated their willingness to be together for the rest of their lives, even if only in thought, Magic took over and married them. Our laws just have to fit around this fact."

Dumbledore looked around, waiting for some more questions, and then continued. "Now, as adult married people, they no longer need guardians of any sort. They can live in any of their possessions – this apartment being one of them, use their money and their political influence any way they like, or – of course – lay aside and do nothing. Knowing Harry and your daughters, I can't see that happening. Yet being so young, they may still need your advice and your support, even if it's just a loving word or a hug. They're still your children, and getting married didn't change that."

"Don't they need our financial support as well?" Hermione's father asked.

Dumbledore smiled, as did the other magical adults. "Harry may not know it yet, but his family has been one of the richest families in Britain for many generations. He can luxuriously support his family, as large as it may get, without working a single day, unless he wants to. You need not bother with that."

As it seemed like there were no other questions, Dumbledore moved to the next topic, not willing to lose the attention of his audience. "There's another thing I need to tell you, not directly concerning Harry or your daughters. Soon after the events of that fateful Halloween, Sirius Black, one of the Potter closest friends, was arrested as the main suspect in betraying their secret location to the dark lord and imprisoned without trial, based solely on some aurors hearing him mumble, 'It's all my fault.' I found out about his innocence only after he escaped prison, wanting to protect his godson – Harry – against the real traitor that was then found on Hogwarts grounds, biding his time as a rat. Just like in the other event, the minister refused to listen to logic and wouldn't give Mr. Black a trial, where his innocence could be proven. I hope this can be soon changed, but until then, Mr. Black needs to stay hidden. I can ask him to join us only if you all agree to keep this secret from the Ministry."

Madam Bones protested. "It's my job to find him. I can't promise that."

Dumbledore sighed. "I can give you some more information to prove him not guilty of the charges against him, but as longs as the Ministers' order, to give him a Dementor Kiss if found, is still in effect, I can't let you take him into custody, nor until I get your personal promise to give him a fair trial, if found."

Madam bones gave it a thought. "I can live with that. I won't do anything against him if I'm convinced that he doesn't mean harm to Harry or anybody else. You know he was also charged for killing Peter Petigrow and several muggles."

"I know, but Peter is still alive, seen only a few days ago by Harry, as I've just told you, and he's the one responsible for the muggles killed in that event. You still have Mr. Black's wand. It can be tested with ' _priory incantatum_ ' if you want."

"I'm surely going to do this, once I'm back at the office, and I'll have the Minister's order canceled, as the man deserves a fair trial, whatever he had done."

Dumbledore looked at the others, who nodded their heads in agreement. He then turned to the dog and smiled. A moment later, the dog turned into a thin man who first hugged Harry tightly and then Hermione, making it evident that they both knew him already. He then turned to Madam Bones, bowed down and kissed her knuckles elegantly. "You still look as nice as I remember you," he said.

Madam bones blushed at the compliment, waving him off.

Dumbledore invited Sirius to sit down. "Well, this is the notorious Sirius Black, who's been a close friend with Harry's parents and is now Harry's godfather."

With the tension broken, people were talking and moving around. Remus and Sirius were closest to Harry and were the first to congratulate him and his wives for their marriage. "Your father was still a virgin at your age," Sirius told him with a wide grin, not minding Harry's protests.

Madam Bones followed, congratulating them quite formally, yet she hugged Susan tightly and emotionally.

Hermione's parents came next. "She's been telling us so much about you, that we feel like we already know you," her mother told him, making Hermione blush. Her father only shook hands with Harry and reminded him, "Keep her happy, or else..."

The Greengrass adults came last. "We're glad you and Daphne completed the contract, although unknowingly and a bit early at that. We now need to think how to break this news to Astoria," the lady said.

"And we need to do it as soon as possible. I think this news will not stay secret much longer," her husband said. "You should find your copy of the contract and read it, though, although you need not hurry," he added.

As expected, the whole group stayed for dinner as well, and Thimble was glad to serve a delicious meal, gaining quite a few compliments.

It was much later when the youngsters were finally left alone. Dumbledore left them instructions of what to do and how to achieve certain goals. Hermione had written them down methodically, but even she was too exhausted to give them much thought.

"You may have each her own bedroom," Harry noted.

"And why would we prefer to sleep far from our husband?" Daphne asked teasingly.

"Sleeping alone for the last two nights seemed a bit odd," Susan added.

Harry didn't know what to say. Hermione grabbed his hand and led him to the master bedroom. Susan and Daphne followed. Once the door was closed, as if by mutual agreement, the girls cast the contraceptive charm and then they all stripped completely and climbed to bed, yet sleeping seemed to be very far from their minds.

Daphne started a long snog with Harry, that gradually turned into love making, with Susan and Hermione caressing the busy couple, enhancing the feeling of love and passion, until it all reached a fabulous peak, making Daphne scream before collapsing on Harry, fully sated. Hermione pushed Daphne aside and mounted Harry as well, only she preferred a different position. Hugging him tightly, she turned them both, ending on her back, under him.

Seeing her inviting smile, Harry couldn't resist. He started caressing and kissing, making love to her with passion and tenderness, until they both reached their peak. Susan had no more patience. She peeled Harry off Hermione, turned him around and straddled him. After reaching another peak, Harry felt completely spent. He only reached for Hermione, hugged her tightly, and fell promptly asleep. Daphne and Susan cuddled with them and followed suit.

Harry slept well that night. He had a few dreams, all pleasant. He woke up feeling some pressure, though. Opening his eyes, he could barely see anything, as a head with bushy brown hair was blocking most of his view. He still managed to see two more heads lying on his chest and his belly. One with blond hair and one with dark red hair. This made him smile. He didn't mind waking each morning with the three of them naked in his bed. Come to think of it – that was exactly what was expected, now that he was married to all three. This only made his smile wider.

'Feeling well?' he heard Hermione's voice in his mind. He felt suddenly confused, not sure how that voice came to be. He could see some of her face and her lips had not moved at all, neither had he heard any voice, yet her question sounded clearly in his mind. Well, he could try talking back that way, not that he really knew how. 'Quite well, thank you. How come I hear you in my mind?' He tried to direct his thought to Hermione while thinking his reply, hoping it would work.

He felt Hermione giggle in his mind and noticed her lips curl a bit. 'We're soul bound. Communicating this way is part of the bond. It may take some time until we can control all the other aspects of it,' he sensed her answer.

'What else is there?' he wondered.

'Well, we can sense each other's feelings and maybe even more. You may eventually gain access to all my memories, allowing you to get better grades without really learning.'

'Isn't that cheating?' He knew Hermione wouldn't agree to that.

'Once our bond settles, whatever one knows, the other knows as well, no matter who put the effort. In many aspects we're just like one person. Not all of them, luckily.'

Harry suddenly got a picture of his manhood caressed by Hermione and then shoved into her. This time he also heard her giggle. "Want to try it?" she whispered with a teasing smile.

"Sure, but..." he waved his hand at the other two heads.

Hermione turned around and checked their position. She then moved quietly. He could now see that his crotch was easily accessible, and already presenting a nice erection. Hermione did exactly what he had seen in his recent vision. She caressed it a bit and then shoved him inside her, starting to ride him in earnest.

The movement awakened the other two girls, yet they were still too sleepy to comment. A few minutes later, when Hermione reached her peak, dragging Harry along, Susan became coherent enough to help Hermione move aside and take her place. Daphne waited patiently. "I want my share in the shower," she told Harry, once he came down from another peak. None of the others commented.

They reached the breakfast table some time later. By then they were all showered and dressed in formal robes that they found in the wardrobe. There was little talk at the table until they were half through breakfast.

"What should we do first," Harry asked.

"Gringotts. You remember we have to claim our lordships and ladyships first, don't you?" Hermione said.

"Of course, dear, only it isn't the best way to spend a vacation."

She looked a bit sombre now. "With Voldemort at large, nobody can really enjoy a vacation. We must first take care of that, as much as we can, before we can relax enough for a proper vacation."

Harry nodded, noticing that Daphne and Susan were nodding as well. He felt his love for them grow and swore in his mind to do whatever he could so that they would be able to enjoy this vacation and all the future ones as well.

With that determination, they finished their breakfast and headed across the street to Gringotts.

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	6. Rings and Documents

**6 Rings and Documents**

The bank looked no different than when Harry had visited there before. He approached one of the tellers. "I'd like to speak with my account manager."

"Your name?" the teller asked without even looking at him.

"Harry James Potter."

The teller lifted his eyes at Harry, his eyes scanning Harry's scar for a brief moment, and promptly responded. "I'll go fetch your account manager immediately, Lord Potter. Please wait just a bit."

He soon returned with another goblin who seemed to be older and was wearing more elegant clothes. The older goblin bowed slightly, noticing the ladies as well. "Please come with me, Lord and Ladies. We may better handle our business in the privacy of my office."

Once seated in the elegant office, that sported the Potter crest on the door, the goblin presented himself. "I'm glad to finally meet you, Lord Potter, along with your wives. My name is Sharpclaw and I'm your chief account manager. However, before we can proceed, I need to have a drop of blood from each of you to verify your identity, as requested by the bank's regulation."

He handed each a small dagger and a large parchment, with an arrow pointing at the area to put a drop of blood on. Once done, he collected the parchments and placed them on the table, viewable by them all. It only took another minute or two before the parchments filled with tiny writing, most of it using a different alphabet which none of the teens could read.

Sherpclaw pointed at the parchments. "As expected, you are all the real persons you claim to be. How can I be of service to you?"

"We've come here to claim our Lordships and Ladyships and take our Lord and Lady rings," Harry responded. "We'd also like to know what assets we own and what obligations we may have. I think it would be easier to start with the latter."

"Of course, Lord Potter, although I thought you already knew. We regularly send you quarterly reports through your guardian, as well as the yearly reports. Hasn't he shown them to you?"

"Whom do you mean?" Harry asked, fearing it was his uncle.

"Why, Mr. Dumbledore is your magical guardian. I thought you knew."

Harry shook his head, wondering what else he was supposed to know but didn't. "The headmaster has never shown me any report, nor mentioned any."

Sharpclaw gave it some consideration. "Well, we suspected that much. I wonder if he even opened them. I deliberately inserted a very evident error in the front page on the last report. I got no reaction for that." He thought some more. "From now on, all reports will go directly to you. I also suggest you ask your guardian about the previous reports."

Harry nodded understandingly, although he didn't believe that asking Dumbledore would help much.

About two hours later, the teens left that office. Harry had a headache from the multitude of large numbers, all turning into a blurry mash in his head. His wives seemed only slightly less overwhelmed. Susan – Lady Hufflepuff – and Hermione – Lady Ravenclaw – found out that they owned a large vault each, as well as very nice sums of money. Harry had control of Potter, Peverell, Gryffindor and Slytherin accounts, with the Potter account being much larger than all the rest put together. The numbers involved were too big to make any sense to Harry, and converted to Pounds, they would be much larger. Only Daphne had no real surprise, although she was still overwhelmed by the numbers. She knew the Potters were rich, but she hadn't known they were **that** rich.

They took a ride to the vaults, mainly for the rings, but also to take a glimpse at them. Susan and Hermione took their respective rings and gave Harry their counterpart. Hermione was delighted to see that most of the Ravenclaw vault consisted of a large collection of ancient books, probably a priceless treasure of knowledge. Harry was sure she would visit there as often as she could. The Hufflepuff vault also contained many books, most about herbs and potions, yet not even close in size to the Ravenclaw collection.

"Which Ladyship would you like? I don't think you need to keep the one in the letter if you prefer another," Harry askd Daphne.

"Well, Hermione is clearly Lady Potter, although she's also Lady Ravenclaw. I can still choose Gryffindor, Slytherin or Peverell." She gave it a bit of thought and then smiled. "Can you imagine the reactions if I choose to be Lady Gryffindor?"

Harry had to smile at the mental image. Ron came to mind immediately, with his negative attitude towards anything Slytherin. Thinking about how her house-mates would react to such news made it even funnier. Just thinking about Draco addressing her as Lady Gryffindor widened his smile.

Daphne turned serious. "I think I'm most connected to Slytherin, though, and it also appeals to me as you came to this title through your mother. I choose to stay Lady Slytherin."

The Slytherin vault, like the two other vaults of the founders, had a large part of its volume dedicated to a library. Only a few books seemed readable to the girls, although Harry had no problem reading any book. 'This is probably parsel script,' he heard Hermione in his mind. 'Only a parselmouth can read them.'

Daphne didn't mind. The ones she could read were more than enough.

Harry wasn't sure what to do about the Lady Gryffindor ring. "Give it to Hermione," Daphne urged him. "As your principal wife, she can bear more of your titles, and you don't need to keep the lines separate."

"What do you mean by keeping lines separate?" Harry asked.

"Well, when one gains a title by conquest, he needs a different wife for each such title, so he can have separate heirs for each line. As Potter, Gryffindor and Slytherin are already merged, there's no reason to do that, and both Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff lines can also go from mother to daughter, so you don't need to bother about them either."

Harry nodded his understanding.

Nothing could have prepared him for the Potter vault. Although its door was not any bigger than the others, each door differing slightly in size and shape, once opened – it revealed a vault much larger than all the others. Harry thought it was about the size of the Great Hall of Hogwarts. It was meticulously organized, though. More than a half of it was a library – much larger than the one at Hogwarts. He almost had to physically restrain Hermione from losing herself in there. The rest contained shelves and boxes full of gold coins, works of art and precious jewelry. He only had time enough to see a small bit of it all. Harry thought he would need more than a month to only check the vault and see what it contained.

Harry felt quite apprehensive at them going out of the bank with such precious rings evident on their fingers. "Such expensive rings may attract unwanted attention, possibly even robbers. What can we do?"

Daphne had to reassure him. "All such rings are protected. You've probably noticed that they resized to fit our fingers snugly. They are also charmed to stay put, unless we want to take them off, and they can be made invisible by thought commands. Besides, they are supposed to give us some protection against most attacks, like strong shields."

Harry was glad that the Lord and Lady rings could be commanded to stay hidden. The protection was also welcome, although he knew he couldn't count on it, when their enemies didn't hesitate to use the unforgiveables.

"How do you know that?" Hermione asked Daphne.

Daphne smiled. "That's the kind of knowledge I've grown up with since early childhood, yet I'm sure we can eventually find some books containing that information."

Hermione huffed. She hated not being able to find relevant information in books.

When they finally left Gringotts, it was quite late already and they felt tired and hungry. Thimble was eager to serve them a late lunch and then suggested, "It's usually nice to nap a bit after a meal. It helps digestion and recharges you with some energy for the rest of the day."

Remembering how the girls behaved each time they got to bed, Harry wasn't sure it would be just rest. 'Don't worry. You'll get your rest first. Then...' he sensed Hermione's teasing. He didn't really mind, yet he was sure that some rest would make the other activities more enjoyable.

They all stripped and went to bed. Hermione and Susan cuddled to Harry, with Daphne cuddling to Hermione and trying to hug Harry as well. They all fell asleep almost as soon as they closed their eyes.

More than two hours later, three sated teens sat in the living room, sipping some afternoon tea that Thimble served them.

"I think we should go over the documents we've taken at the bank and see what we own," Hermione suggested, yet she seemed more interested in cuddling with Harry than in any document, as important as it might be.

"I agree," Susan said, still cuddling at Harry's other side.

Daphne, who sat alone on another couch, just sighed and opened the heavy dossier that Sharpclaw had given them, starting to glance through the pages, not quite interested.

Harry was too content, enjoying the two girls cuddling with him, to pay much attention, until he heard Daphne gasp. "What have you found?" he asked leisurely.

"Something that may make our life much pleasanter. According to this document, you own twenty percent of The Daily Prophet. Combine that with the ten percent my parents hold and another ten percent held by the Bones, five from Longbottom and a few smaller shareholders, and you can force the paper to act any way you want. And… Oh, the Black also hold fifteen percent. I'm sure Sirius will let you vote for him, making you the most powerful share holder. They wouldn't dare make you cross at them, I'm sure."

This finally made Hermione react. "They're still missing their star reporter, the one causing most of the troubles," she giggled.

"You mean Rita Skeeter? What happened to her?"

"Let's say… she's been detained while trying to work some more mischief." Harry also sensed, 'She's now a bug in that jar. I must make sure to feed her some leaves tonight.' It didn't make much sense to him.

He returned to the main topic. "So, how do we proceed? Do we go to the offices of the Prophet and speak with the editor?"

"Of course not!" Daphne proclaimed. "We want to keep our position secret for as long as possible, and that would be very unhelpful. You have a solicitor to handle such things, I'm sure."

"I have a solicitor?" He barely knew what the word meant.

Susan responded. "Almost every family, excluding the very poor, has a solicitor to advise on legal matters and act whenever something needs to be done concerning the family's interest, that doesn't specifically involve a certain member of the family. I'm sure your parents had one. Grigotts can probably tell you who."

"Fine. So I go to Gringotts and then contact the solicitor. What should I tell him?"

Hermione smiled. "We shall all visit the solicitor. We first need to see if he's still trustworthy and then give him the proper instructions."

"Don't we need to do something else now?" Daphne asked innocently, yet she moved her body in a very suggestive way.

Harry smiled. "I wonder what you have in mind," he answered as innocently.

"Come to bed and we shall show you," Daphne replied.

"Only show?" he asked.

"Oh, you!. Just come now!"

And he did.

* * *

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	7. Solicitor

**7 Solicitor**

Harry went to Gringotts the next morning, alone. His wives didn't join, so that their marriage would stay secret as long as possible. He also used a 'notice-me-not' charm to keep away attention on the street, as advised.

Half an hour later he returned with a small parchment in his pocket.

"So, who is your solicitor?" Susan asked first.

He handed her the parchment, saying nothing.

Susan read it twice. "Andromeda Tonks? I think I met her daughter at the Ministry. She's just started auror training. Auntie thinks she may turn out a very good auror."

"She's Narcissa Malfoy's sister," Daphne said, seeming amused.

"What's so funny about that?" Harry asked.

"I overheard this story even before I went to Hogwarts. Andromeda Black had been promised to Malfoy since she was a baby. During her Hogwarts years she fell in love with Ted Tonks, a muggle-born, and they eloped as soon as she reached seventeen. Her family disowned her and Narcissa had to step in and marry Malfoy, once she was old enough. Unlike her sister, she didn't have the nerve to disobey, although she had a crush on somebody else. Draco doesn't even know her, maybe is not even aware of that history, as he had never met this aunt and she's not mentioned in pureblood circuits."

"So, you think we can trust her?"

"I'm sure we can. I've heard she's very sharp and she has never lost a case. She'd probably like to put a stop to Malfoy domination at The Prophet."

There was no address on the small parchment, only a phone number. They used the back door, leading directly into Muggle London. Harry had no problem using a public phone booth, with Hermione cramming at his side. The other two had no room to join them and wouldn't know how to use the telephone even if they had.

"Tonks residence, Ted speaking," the voice on the phone answered.

"Hello, my name is Harry Potter and I've just found out that your wife is my family's solicitor. May I speak with her?"

"Of course, Harry. We were waiting for your call since... Well, let me call her."

A moment later, a female voice was heard. "Andromeda speaking. Can I help you?" It was clear that Ted didn't tell her who called.

"My name is Harry Potter and I've just found out that you are my family's solicitor. I'd like to meet you and discuss some matters that I'd like to act upon. May I come to your office?"

"My office is at home. You can come today or tomorrow, as I have nothing scheduled yet."

"I don't know the address. Is it accessible by Muggle means?"

"Of course it's accessible. Most of my business is with muggles. Now, write down the address." She dictated the address slowly. Hermione wrote it down and Harry read it loud again, to make sure.

"How may I best reach your place?"

"You can take the underground. We live only a few minutes' walk from the station, but it's a long ride and you have to change twice. You may find a taxi faster."

"Thank you. I think I'm going to look for a taxi in a few minutes."

He could hear her amusement. "I'll be ready for you, Mr. Potter."

They had to walk a bit and leave the side streets before they could find a taxi. As they gave the driver their destination, he looked skeptically at them. "Are you sure you have the money for that? It's a long ride, almost out of London."

Not wanting to show off, Harry asked, "How much will it cost?"

"The exact sum depends on the traffic, but it can easily pass seven pounds."

"Well, if we all take the underground, it will be almost the same. We can pay it."

Riding a taxi was nothing new for Hermione, but it was for the others. Harry had some experience riding in his uncle's car, yet the girls had never used a car either. Both Susan and Daphne were fascinated and paid utmost attention to the ride and the view. Hermione found it a good occasion to cuddle into Harry, who found this more interesting than the urban view through the window. They all kept quiet, though, not wanting to attract undue attention.

When they finally arrived, Harry let Hermione handle the payment, as he wasn't sure he knew how to handle it. Seeing her add ten percent to the official price, he was glad that he didn't take it upon himself, yet he made a mental note to ask her later about it.

Andromeda seemed surprised when she opened the door to find four teens waiting there. "I thought you'd come alone," she said.

"I'll explain in a moment, once we're indoors," Harry said.

"Well, welcome in," she waved them all in and closed the door.

"Mrs. Tonks, let me introduce my wives, Lady Hermione Potter-Ravenclaw née Granger, Lady Susan Potter-Hufflepuff née Bones, and Lady Daphne Potter-Slytherin née Greengrass. I'm Harry, Lord Potter-Gryffindor-Slytherin-Peverell, and also Lord Hufflepuff and Lord Ravenclaw, due to my wives."

Andromeda looked overwhelmed, but recovered quickly. "Nice to meet you all. I'm Andromeda Tonks, née Black, but you may call me Andy, and that slob of a husband of mine, who's reading the newspaper over there, is Theodore, Ted Tonks. My daughter, who doesn't like her first name, is currently at work. She's an auror in training."

Ted turned his head to the teens and smiled at them, adding a wink. It was evident even to Harry that the Tonks loved each other dearly and were only teasing. This put them all at ease.

"Now, I assume you didn't come here just to make a social call. Let's go into my study to discuss things. Ted, will you be so kind to bring some tea and biscuits when you join us?"

Ted sighed as if this was a very difficult task and then stood up from his couch and stepped to the kitchen. A moment later, he came into the study with a tray on which he carried a kettle, six glasses and all the other stuff needed, and set it on a side table, smiling at his wife. He then took a seat at her side and turned serious.

Andy served the tea, showing her high-class origins, and then sat back down. "You should know that we're partners in business as well. While I serve as the public face of our business, at least in the magical community, Ted is the brain behind me. He's the best lawyer you could find, in either muggle or magical communities."

Harry smiled at the couple. "Good to know there's more than one person to take care of my business. It looks like I'm going to give you quite a bit of work in the near future."

"Care to explain?" Andy asked.

"My immediate need is to take control of The Daily Prophet. It is currently controlled by the Ministry through Malfoy, yet he only holds few shares. He can only act that way due to my shares and my godfather's shares being dormant for many years, and other shareholders losing interest. I believe we can regroup many of the shareholders, the majority, to support a change of policy, parading the truth and not propaganda."

"Who is your godfather? I'm not sure I've ever been informed."

"I believe you know him. Sirius Black is my godfather." Andy gasped, but Harry didn't let her react, as he continued, "Sirius has never betrayed my parents. The secret keeper, who sold them to Voldemort, was Peter Pettigrew, whom Sirius was accused of murdering. Peter is still alive, though. He is an unregistered rat animagus. I've seen him just a few days ago, after the third task."

By now, Andy regained control. "Well, I'd like to hear about that later. For now, it's enough if you can get a letter from him, assigning his votes to you. Even without additional allies, that may be enough to change the paper's policy."

"But we do have other allies: Bones and Greengrass – of course, as well as Longbottom, McGonagall and Dumbledore. Probably even some more. As I don't want my position to become known too early, I need you to act on my behalf and organize this."

They spent some time discussing the details and formulating an action plan. It assured that Harry would get control of the Prophet withing a week or two, at most.

"What do you want to change, once you have control of the newspaper?" Andy asked.

"First of all – it must stop publishing fabricated or modified stories. It should stick to the truth and describe it without presenting an opinion, except in the articles properly identified as personal opinions, and even those should have a sound basis. Then – once this is established – I want to start investigations on all top officials, to see if they get bribes or are improperly influenced by others, as well as if they are competent enough in their jobs. I'm sure that such an investigation would discover very interesting facts."

Ted smiled broadly. "I think I'm going to like working with you. What next?"

Harry turned more serious. "The current minister has taken two very bad decisions that involved me personally, when he discarded my words concerning Sirius, last year, and concerning Voldemort, a few days ago. I want to do all I can to get Sirius a fair trial, which he had never got – and canceling the 'kiss on sight' order, given by the minister, should be the first step. I believe Sirius will be found not guilty of any of the charges, if given a proper trial. Once that is done, we must make sure that the Ministry, no matter who heads it, prepares for war with Voldemort and his followers, or even better – stops him on his tracks before it escalates into a war."

Some more time was spent discussing these issues. They were unable to make a detailed plan before having control of the paper, as they lacked some information, but they could still make a skeleton plan and a rough timetable. "We need the whole Ministry affair acted upon before we return to school," Harry emphasized.

It was already lunch time when they finished. "Please stay for lunch," Andy asked them. "We haven't discussed anything concerning your marriage, and I'm sure I need to know at least a bit so I can act more wisely.

Harry wasn't sure if she was just curious or really needed to know, but he decided to trust her. If his parents had trusted her to be their solicitor, he hoped he could do that as well.

Both Susan and Daphne were surprised when Andy took some frozen stuff from her freezer and put it in the microwave oven, ending with a perfectly tasty hot meal in a matter of minutes. This seemed very magical to them. Andy also took some fresh vegetables and quickly made a salad, to accompany the main dishes. Hermione wasn't surprised, of course.

"Care to tell us how you four became married?" Ted asked, once they sat at the table.

"It was actually initiated by Dumbledore. Although I don't like the way he meddles with my life, I must say that I'm content at least with this part, as I now have three marvelous wives," Harry said, smiling lovingly at the girls.

Andy frowned. "What do you mean by 'he meddles with your life'? I don't like the sound of it."

Harry didn't think it was the right time to elaborate. "I'll go into it some other time, if you don't mind. There are other subjects that are more pressing."

Andy nodded, while Ted looked pensive. She then asked, "Well, care to give some more details?"

Harry wasn't sure how much he could say, not wanting to anger his wives. Hermione sensed his concern and decided to tell it herself. "The day after the third task, just before dinner, the headmaster asked both Harry and I to come to his office. As soon as we reached a deserted corridor, we were whisked to a place – we later found it was Potter Manor – only we arrived there naked. This made us confess our love to each other and act on it. We then saw Daphne, who seemingly arrived in a similar way. She told us we were now married or even soul-bound, which we later found to be true. Daphne took over, and soon there was another flash as she married Harry. Susan arrived while they were occupied and eventually acted the same way, ending in another marriage flash. The headmaster let us stay for the whole day and then sent his phoenix to take us back, where he confessed to be the one who sent us there, hoping for the result we got."

Daphne took over. "He then explained that he had previously hoped Harry would have more time to get ready before Vol... Voldemort returned, but with the Dark Lord returning already, he had to act much faster, and by having Harry marry the three of us, his powers were enhanced. Besides that, we now own Hogwarts, making the Governors irrelevant. This greatly enhances our political power. We can now make all changes in school, and he assumes we shall work in tandem with him."

"He also expects us to take all the relevant seats in the Wizengamot, thus changing the political balance and dictating a new agenda," Susan added.

Andy seemed a bit overwhelmed. "Oof! That's quite a list of tasks to do, and I assume you want our help in them all."

The teens nodded. She smiled. "Well, I can now see why you said you needed more than one. I suspect we may need to hire some help as well, if everything goes as intended."

Harry nodded. "It may be so, but right now, our first and most important mission is to regain control of the newspaper. Please let us know when the shareholders meeting will take place. We may want to watch it, undetectable by the others, but you should be the one to set the new rules and make sure they are followed."

Andy frowned. "Are you sure about that? None of the charms that make you invisible is perfect, and people could notice some shimmering. I'm willing to cast the charm for you, but it may still prove unwise."

Harry smiled at her. "I have my own means, yet we could use your help as well, as I'm not sure it may suffice for all of us."

Andy nodded. She wasn't sure what the future might hold for her, but she was glad to be able to do something useful about it, and working with Potter was surely going to be interesting, at least.

* * *

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	8. Weekend

**8 Weekend**

With their business resolved, the teens spent the afternoon leisurely, mostly window shopping in some of the famous areas. The weather was nice, making people nicer as well. They bought some soft drinks and sipped them while walking, seeming just like a bunch of teens passing their vacation.

Hermione stopped in front of a shop that sported various detective gadgets. "Mind if we check this over?" she asked the rest.

Nobody seemed to mind.

"Can you show us some miniature listening devices?" Hermione asked the shop attendant.

They spent almost half an hour there. Hermione was eager to learn about listening devices and about miniature cameras. She bought none, but found a book explaining about modern detective practices, which she bought, making Harry giggle.

"And why is that?" she asked in mock annoyance.

"It's just like you, to look for books everywhere."

"And why is it funny?"

He wasn't sure about the answer. "I think I just like you acting this way, especially when it's unexpected."

This gained him a quick kiss and a wink, promising some more.

Tired of walking, Harry suggested a visit at the cinema. Hermione was quick to spot one which showed a romantic adventure. This time, she let Susan and Daphne cuddle with Harry during the film, while she just watched. Harry didn't remember much of the film, once they came out of the cinema, but he surely enjoyed the time in the dark, with both girls directing his hands to very pleasurable spots.

After eating dinner at an Italian restaurant, they returned to the apartment that was becoming Home, at least for a while. They found a pile of books waiting for them. "Mr. Moony passed here earlier and left these. He said you should read at least the top book before the end of the week, and the next two before next weekend, as they may prove very important for what you want to do next," the house elf informed them. "Shall I serve dinner now?"

Harry smiled. "No, thank you. We dined outside. While you are a better cook, a restaurant has its own appeal, and not merely the food."

Hermione was already checking the books. "The top one is the history of your family, evidently taken from the library here. You really should know it all as soon as possible. You then have a book about criminal law and another about managing magical companies – these may be relevant to Sirius and to the Prophet. We should study them before the shareholders' meeting."

Hedwig fluttered through the window and settled in front of Hermione, who took a letter from her. "Oh, my parents would like us to spend the weekend with them. I'd really like to as well. Do you all agree?"

Harry smiled at her and the other girls nodded. Harry knew he would need to spend some time with the Greengrass family and with Madam Bones – probably other weekends. He wasn't sure he was looking forward to that, but he knew these were some of his obligations as a married man.

Saturday afternoon, they all put on muggle clothes and walked out the back door. A short walk brought them to the underground station, and after another hour on the train, they took a local bus that deposited them just around the corner from the Granger house, where Hermione's parents were very glad to invite them in.

The conversation drifted from one subject to another until after dinner. Both Daphne and Susan were fascinated with the television and were eager to watch it as soon as dinner was over, making Hermione smile understandingly. Harry wasn't sure what to do. Should he join the girls in front of the television, or should he stay with Hermione and her parents, who seemed inclined to talk some more in the kitchen? It was then that Mr. Granger talked to him.

"Harry, we had a lot to think of after meeting the headmaster and your godfather. We wonder if you can enlighten us some more."

"Sure. Just ask."

The man smiled as his wife came to sit at his side, just as Hermione sat at Harry's. "Why don't you start by telling us a bit about the first year at Hogwarts, the way you experienced it?"

They spent the rest of the evening there, eventually joined by Susan and Daphne as well – both were eager to learn some more about their husband. The Grangers paid attention to details and wanted to understand everything. When they finally retired to bed, it was close to midnight, and Harry had not yet finished the first year's story.

"Why are they interested in the details so much?" Harry asked.

"There's a saying, God is in the details," Hermione replied, "and my parents really want to help us. The better they understand, the better they can help. Just be patient with them, alright?"

If her words were not enough to convince him, her promising smile and the way she moved her body assured it. Once in bed, Hermione proceeded to take his mind off his troubles, and so did Daphne and Susan. When the four sated teens finally fell asleep, Harry could only think of how lucky he was to have these three as his.

Harry was asked to continue his story soon after breakfast. Daphne and Susan spent a bit in front of the television set, watching some children programs, before they joined the others, listening to Harry's adventures. It was almost lunch time when he finished telling about their second year. "...and then, while the feast was on, Hermione, who'd been unpetrified with the mandrake potion, hugged me tightly, glad that I managed to kill the snake."

"Do you know what happened to the defense teacher?"

"He was probably transferred to St. Mungos hospital. I don't know anything else about him."

"So, your first year defense teacher hosted the dark lord in the back of his head; the second year one was just a fraud and an incompetent fool, who would do anything for his glory, Then you have a boring ghost for a history teacher and somebody who hates students for potions. I'd say this doesn't give a very good impression of the headmaster," Mr. Granger concluded.

Harry gave it a thought. "I think he has good intentions, but he may not be as wise as some claim in acting upon them, despite being a great wizard."

Mr. Granger didn't seem convinced, yet his wife intervened. "Give him a rest, dear. He may be a married man, but he's not fifteen yet – just a child. Let them all enjoy the weekend as well."

"Of course, dear. I didn't intend to make this into an interrogation, but if I want to give them good advice, I must first know all the facts, or as close to that as possible."

He still let the youngsters have some fun while his wife made lunch, showing them some of the cartoons he had collected. He also told them about his Star Wars collection, but that needed more time than they currently had.

"We usually take a nap after lunch," Mrs. Granger told them, "as we can't do that during the week. You may do whatever pleases you until we wake up – in about two hours."

"I think that a nap could be nice for us as well," Hermione said, yet the glint in her eyes meant that she was thinking of something more entertaining than that.

After their five-o'clock tea, Harry continued his story. By now, the Grangers had enough background details to stop him less frequently, and Harry had also learned what kind of details they wanted, so he included them without being asked. This allowed him to finish both third and fourth year – including the visit at Potter Manor – before dinner.

The Granger parents were very pensive during dinner, but let the youngsters enjoy the meal with no disturbance. They did ask the girls about the differences between the houses and about some professors, but nobody felt interrogated. It was more like gossiping about school affairs.

With dinner over, they all moved to the living room, yet Mr. Granger turned off the television. "We may still need to think some more about what you've told us, but I believe we can already share some of our understandings with you," he said, sounding quite formal and grave. That was not like he acted normally, making Hermione worried.

"From what we knew before and from what we've learned this weekend, I believe we can no longer trust Mr. Dumbledore without reservations. We accept your statement that he has good intentions, at least until proven otherwise, but his actions are not always wise and may even cause you damage in some cases. It's absolutely clear to us that he has much more information concerning you and your cause than he has revealed to you. He said that Harry was crucial for defeating Voldemort, but he didn't explain it. I'm not sure he is right, and in any case – I'd like to understand why he thinks so.

"There's also the way he sent you, Harry, back to your relatives each summer. You haven't talked much about them, but they were clearly not the right people to raise you. I suspect you were even abused there in some ways. Why did he insist, when you could go to the Weasley or join Hermione here?

"He said that getting you married would enhance your powers. Are you more powerful now in any way? I'm not referring to your political and financial powers."

Harry gave it a thought. He wasn't sure, really. He recalled some older boys telling how exhausted they were after a shag. He was now sating three wives, once or twice a day, but it wasn't too exhausting, really. This was not something he could tell his in-laws, though. Was he more powerful magically? He didn't know, not having used magic since he found himself married to three. "I'm not sure. I haven't tried using magic since that night."

"Why don't you try? You're already allowed to, according to your letters, I understand."

Harry took his wand. "Lumos!" he muttered. The tip lighted brightly, much brighter than it ever did before. "Nox!" It returned to normal.

"It looks much brighter than before, which means I'm probably more powerful, though I can't say by how much."

The next question was quite expected. "Is there a way to measure your power?"

None of the teens was quite sure, yet Susan spoke. "I've heard there's a way to do it and it's probably done when we get our medical checkout, first week in Hogwarts, just as they take blood samples to check our ancestry and who knows what else. Maybe I should ask my aunt about this."

"I suggest you do that. It might have some legal implications, doing these tests without you or your guardians being aware of them."

Mr. Granger sighed. "We may need to think some more of all that we've learned from you before we can come with some additional advices. Do you have any plans for the coming week?"

"We shall probably have a shareholders meeting, where we intend to take control of The Prophet, although we shall stay hidden," Harry said. "We still don't know the exact time. Other than that we made no specific plans."

"In that case," Mr. Granger looked at his wife, as if asking for her confirmation, "do you mind staying here for another day? We shall not be at home for most of it, but we'd like to talk with you in the evening, after we return home."

Harry looked at his wives. Neither Daphne nor Susan seemed to mind, and he didn't need to look to know that Hermione agreed wholeheartedly. "It's alright with us."

The rest of the evening was spent leisurely. The two pureblood girls were still spending most of their time watching television, switching channels frequently, trying to see as many interesting programs as possible. They found the mere quantity of entertainment available to Muggles almost unbelievable. Hermione only cuddled to Harry, enjoying their togetherness. She also felt her bond to Harry getting stronger and she liked it. Her parents were also cuddling together, talking softly with each other. Hermione felt sure that they were trying to think of ways to help. She smiled and cuddled tighter with Harry.

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	9. Journalism

**9 Journalism**

Monday turned out to be a very nice and sunny day. Almost forcing the teens out. Hermione showed them the park where she had used to play as a small girl, the school she had attended and the mall, where she had visited mainly the bookshops. After spending most of the morning in the sun, the mall proved a kind of respite, and they had lunch there. They paid a short visit to some of the clothing shops, buying only a few items. They spent about the same amount of time shopping for books, with Daphne and Susan showing almost as much interest in reading as Hermione.

When they returned to the Granger house, Hedwig was waiting with Madam Bones' reply about measuring one's magic.

"Magical children are checked for their potential a few times. They are first checked soon after birth, if born to magical families. Next official measurement is when starting Hogwarts, and the last time is just before graduating. There are several spells useful for such measurement. One only shows the results to the caster – very useful when the results are not to be made public. Another, as expected, makes the result visible to everybody around. A different spell makes the measurement come out of the caster's wand on a small parchment. I've attached all three forms below. None uses any special wand movements. Just point the wand and say the spell clearly. Using any of these forms on a child or an adult is completely legal, with or without the subject's consent. As for interpreting the results, adult wizards and witches have indexes ranging from thirty upwards, averaging about forty. Very few get over fifty. This should give you enough for now."

The girls checked the spells and Hermione tried to cast the last on all of them. She put the results on the table, labeling each parchment with a name.

Daphne repeated the process and so did Susan and Harry.

Hermione checked the results. "The four sets are almost identical, which means that it probably doesn't depend on the caster – only on the subject." She then rearranged one set, moving aside the others. "Harry is clearly the most powerful of us, with sixty-one. I'm second, with fifty-six, while Daphne and Susan are about the same with fifty-one or fifty-two – varying between the measurements. It puts us all well above average and gives us some clue to why Harry managed to escape at the graveyard. We still have to find what the numbers mean in practical terms."

"And we don't really know what the measurements were before we came together," Daphne noted, "so we can't really verify that this changed much for Harry."

"Well, if just shagging us once was so helpful, let's do it again!" Susan was becoming impatient. They all smiled and moved to the bedroom.

When the Grangers returned from work, they first had dinner with the teens. They returned to the main topic only after dinner. "We've been thinking quite a bit, as we weren't too busy at the clinic today – many are already on vacation, you know. We couldn't form a war-plan for you, but we have some additional advices.

"First – you need to get as much information as possible from Dumbledore. He has a lot of knowledge, but he seems not to share most of it. Try to learn from him everything that may be relevant to you, even if only remotely. Don't hesitate to pester and harass him until he relents. Some of that information may prove crucial along the way.

"Gaining control of the newspaper if a wise step. Once you have it, you may expose everybody who supports the dark lord by deeds or by inaction, as well as expose corruption, which may be even more dangerous than a powerful terrorist, in the long term. If handled correctly, by the time you enter politics proper, you'll have your job almost done.

"As for fighting the dark wizards, you may be able to use some mundane weapons for great effect. A bullet may reach its target even before a person can think of a magical shield, much less act on it, and sniper rifles may be effective at ranges much greater than battle spells. Just keep that in mind, if ever you need to do battle."

It was then that a large gray owl came through the open window and landed in front of Harry. After taking the letter and reading it quickly, Harry smiled. "The shareholders meeting will be held tomorrow afternoon at the Prophet office building on Diagon Alley. Andromeda will come to take us there at about three PM. She's got all the names we mentioned to back her, as well as a few more."

With that good news, they all retired for the night.

There were very few people present in the conference room. Most chose to sit close to the door, far away from Mrs. Tonks, whom all knew as somebody they didn't want to attract her attention. There were additional seats positioned along the walls, all seemingly empty. Nobody could see the four teens who were sitting on some of these chairs at the back of the room, covered by an invisibility cloak. One of them was also holding a glass jar with a beetle inside.

Mr. Malfoy, the unofficial speaker of the assembly, spoke first. "Mrs. Tonks, I believe we would all like to know why you called for this meeting. We are all very busy people and don't like to waste our time. We know you represent the Potter share, but it's merely twenty percent, while we, who came here, hold almost twice as much."

Mrs. Tonks smiled at him, the way a cat would have smiled at the mouse she was going to devour. "It's true that I traditionally represent the Potter interests, yet I've recently been asked to represent the Black, Longbottom, Greengrass and some more. If my math is correct, I now represent more than sixty percent of the shareholders, so that it is within my powers to set a meeting whenever I see fit."

"You can't possibly represent Black. You're no longer part of the family and the current lord of that house is a fugitive!" Malfoy felt the ground shaking under his control of the paper. He didn't like that feeling.

"He's a fugitive, for now, but he still sent me an official letter, signed with his Lord ring, asking me to represent him and giving the right of decision to his godson, in his absence."

"And who that might be?" Malfoy hoped he could bully that person to join with him.

"You've already met him. His name is Harry Potter."

Malfoy sat silently for a while, trying to understand what this meant for him. "So, what do you want?" he finally asked.

"Not much, really. I only want the paper to stick to the truth and only present verifiable facts as such, refraining from un-based rumors. That's the way most respectable newspapers act, you know. Do you have any objections?"

There was only one right answer to that. "Not at all. We all want a respectable paper."

"Good. All I need now is for all of you to sign this acknowledgment, declaring me as the majority representative with rights to hire and fire and to set policy. It's just a formality, you know." Andy handed a document to be signed by all present. It was evident that Malfoy and his group didn't like it, but she considered it as part of "driving it home," making him understand that the rules were changing.

A few minutes later, the meeting was closing. Just before Malfoy left the room, Andy stopped him. "How is my dear sister?"

Lucius needed to use all his willpower not to sneer at her. "She's fine," he said through gritted teeth.

"Give her my regards. Will you?"

"Sure, Mrs. Tonks," he said and hurried out. Andy just smirked.

Once Andy was left alone, the teens removed the cloak and the disillusionment charms that kept them invisible. Harry seemed disappointed. "He didn't give any fight."

Andy smiled. "He's not stupid. He had to act that way to save his dignity. Besides, he never acts overtly. He prefers to act behind the scenes, undetected by most. We'll need to be more cautious about him. What is that jar for?"

Hermione smiled. "I think Rita Skeeter is anxious to get back to work. Don't you?" her last two words were directed at the beetle that buzzed angrily in the jar.

"I think that needs some explanations," Andy said sternly.

"You'll get it soon enough. Just come to our apartment after dealing with the staff, will you?"

Andy nodded as the teens turned invisible again.

Half an hour later, she was sitting in their living room, enjoying their hospitality. "It went quite well. The chief editor seemed actually relieved when I gave him our instructions. 'If it wasn't for Malfoy and the Ministry, we would have kept a much more neutral line for years. I'll make sure all the reporters adhere to the truth. I may have a problem with Skeeter, though, whenever she seems fit to come back.'

"I told him I'll handle Skeeter whenever that occurs. Now, care to tell me about her?"

Hermione smiled as she put the jar on the table. "We were really angry at all that Rita published during the tournament, making Harry seem to be a fame-seeker or worse. Then after the last task, Harry used the word 'bugging' that is normally used to describe listening in to others, in the Muggle world. That reminded me of the bug I've seen several times during the year, and I then saw it on the window sill of the hospital wing. She was quite easy to catch, as soon as I knew who the bug was. Once captured, I told her she could only get free after promising to change her ways. This seems like a good time to put her to test, if you agree."

Soon enough there were four wands trained on the jar, as Hermione removed the cover and stood back, grabbing her wand as well. The beetle flew out and landed on the floor at their side, with the wands still pointed at it. It then transformed, turning back into the infamous Rita Skeeter, who looked quite rumpled. "What do you want?" she spat venomously.

Andy started talking for them all. "Good day, Ms. Skeeter. Why don't you take a seat and we shall discuss the situation pleasantly. Care for some tea?"

Rita sat reluctantly down. Thimble brought her tea and biscuits, which she seemed quite glad to accept. "That's a welcome change after eating only leaves for more than a week," she grumbled.

Andy waited for her to drink a bit before she continued. "I'm not sure how much you comprehend in your animal form, so let me give you some facts, yet I first need your oath to never publish them in any form unless allowed by Lord Potter or his representatives."

Rita didn't seem to like the idea, yet Harry's wand was still pointing at her. She lifted her wand slowly, not to cause any alarm and recited after Andy, "I, Rita Skeeter, swear on my magic to never divulge any information passed to me about Lord Harry James Potter and his family, unless specifically allowed by him or his appointed representative. So mote it be."

A bright flash confirmed the acceptance of the vow.

Rita lowered her wand, looking deflated. Andy smiled reassuringly at her. "I'll go chronologically over the events since the third task, if you don't mind. After spending the night at the hospital wing, Harry was released. He condoled the Diggorys and spent some time with his friends. Then, on his way to dinner, he was transferred to Potter Manor, along with his friend, Hermione, and later, Daphne and Susan joined them. The next morning they found out they got all married and emancipated. This makes Harry – Lord Potter, Hermione is now Lady Potter, Daphne is Lady Slytherin and Susan is Lady Hufflepuff."

Rita seemed confused at the titles. "I'll explain the titles later," Andy said. "Now, as Lord Potter, he took control of his possessions, including his share at The Prophet. Joined by family and friends, he now has the majority and controls it."

Rita paled at the implications.

"Still, you do have some qualifications which can come out handy."

She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts, while Rita nibbled at another biscuit. "There's another story I need to tell you, and you'll soon see that it connects to the main one. Almost thirteen years ago, my cousin, Sirius Black, was arrested and sent to Azkaban without trial, presumably for betraying the Potters and for killing several people. Two years ago, he found out that the real betrayer was alive and staying at Hogwarts in animal form, thus endangering his godson – Harry Potter. Sirius escaped Azkaban and came to Hogwarts, eventually facing the betrayer, Peter Petigrew, who was supposed to be dead. Unfortunately, things didn't go too well, Peter transformed back to a rat and vanished, while Sirius was caught and our esteemed Minister didn't think that Harry's testimony was worth hearing. He decided to give Sirius the dementor kiss. Luckily, Sirius managed to escape before the dementors arrived. Now, he wants to get the trial he was denied, prove his innocence and regain his position in the magical world. We need you to bring to light each and every questionable decision or action made by the minister and also find out who bribes him and what agenda he serves. I have a hunch that this is the kind of investigation you may excel at. Still, every fact published should be true and verifiable, all quotes should be exact and opinions should be clearly marked as such. Can you handle this?"

Rita bristled. "Of course I can handle this. It would actually feel quite refreshing to do real journalism, for a change."

"Well, let's discuss the details, and it would be very helpful if you let us know everything that you already know about the subject."

Rita's smile turned predatory. "Oh, I have collected a few bits and pieces about our esteemed leadership..."

Rita stayed for dinner, after her house-elf brought her a change of clothing. She had a lot of information not only about the minister, but also about some of his backers and his staff. Still, what they needed most urgently was information that would make the ministry agree to give Sirius the trial he deserved and not have him executed before he had a chance. They decided to concentrate the investigation on questionable decisions of the minister and his top advisers, leaving the subjects of integrity and bribery for the next step. When Rita finally left them, she was looking forward to her new assignment.

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	10. Sirius

**10 Sirius**

The Prophet didn't change overnight. That was almost impossible and would also seem highly suspicious. Most articles, those that weren't last minute news, were normally prepared a few days before publishing, and the editor couldn't change that so quickly, although subtle changes could be noticed, if one cared to look for them. There was no more libel and no badmouthing, and opinions were clearly labeled as such. A week later, it became more evident.

Rita had some minor articles published, dealing with information that should have been public yet held back by the current administration at the ministry. Although applying better journalism, they were not out of line for this reporter, and yet they were the precursor for her upcoming articles, intended to uncover corruption and misconduct within the ministry..

They met with Rita a few days later, and Hermione briefed her on muggle methods of "bugging". It was not said explicitly, but Rita was clearly going to use some of them, with appropriate modifications for Magic, in her investigations.

It was almost three weeks after the takeover, when the first article about the minister himself was published as a front page item. Several questionable decisions were presented. Among them, and not emphasized in any way – the dismissal of Potter's testimony about Petigrew and Black. The minister was not explicitly accused of anything, yet his decisions, the way they had been taken and the circumstances were all depicted with utmost details. Only the ending paragraph was different. " _Each of these decisions, while checked individually, may not seem too much out of line, yet when viewed as a whole, they do cast some heavy doubts on the way decisions are taken. Does the minister act on a whim or does he consider every aspect of a problem before deciding? Does he act for the benefit of the wizarding public or does he have some other agenda? This reporter does not have the answers, but is sure looking for them. Hopefully, the answers will prove our worries out of place, but we still need some answers._ "

Harry and his wives were content. While this was not too blatant, not quite a "declaration of war," it was clear that the minister's decisions were now under scrutiny, as well as his motives. It didn't come for him as a surprise, that the minister's right hand – undersecretary Dolores Umbridge – visited the offices of The Prophet a few hours after the publishing. Some well placed "bugs" gave him and his wives all the information they needed about the way that the Ministry used to manipulate the newspaper until then. Umbridge used blatant threats along with bribery to try and get her ends. A short time after she left, Andy visited the office to get a full report of the previous visit and to make sure it affected nothing, yet it was all documented with recordings and photographs.

Rita published the next article a few days later. Along with discussing some other decisions of the ministry, none of them concerning either Harry or Sirius, it also contained a full report of Umbridge's visit, including some photographs and selected conversations. Umbridge was fired the next day.

"Doesn't the minister see that it's his responsibility, just as much as Umbridge's?" Harry asked.

"That's politics," Susan explained patiently. "As long as he can blame others, he'll do it, even if he has to turn his back on his most loyal accomplices. Don't worry, though. He won't be able to keep his post much longer."

With the pressure on the minister mounting, Harry thought it was wise to give him some direction that would benefit Sirius. He asked Madam Bones to visit her nephew, or rather, Susan asked her aunt to come and visit.

"Is everything alright?" was the first phrase as Madam Bones came in.

Susan hugged her tightly. "Much better than alright. Come, stay with us for dinner and we'll give you all the details."

Some hours later, Amelia Bones was wondering why Harry and Hermione had been sorted to Gryffindor, as they could give some lessons in cunning to many Slytherin graduates. "I'll let the minister understand that it's not a sign of weakness to change one's opinions based upon newly found information. He probably knows that Mr. Black had never had a trial, but if I present it as something I've just discovered, and it's the fault of the previous minister, then he will be able to save face when changing his mind."

Harry smiled. "I'm sure that Sirius will appreciate your help."

"He still needs to prove his innocence," Amelia said sternly.

"Will interrogation under veritaserum and viewing of his relevant memories suffice?"

She gave it some consideration. "If the memories can be shown un-tampered with, then I believe it should be enough."

Harry's smile widened. "Just make sure he gets a fair trial, We'll handle the rest."

Three days later, the ministry put a large advertisement in The Prophet, asking Mr. Sirius Black to come forward and stand trial, promising a fair and honest trial, open to the public, and no punishment for escaping prison, if he comes of his own will.

Harry considered this to be a very nice birthday present, yet his wives tried to make that day even more special for him. They spent the whole morning in bed, making sure that Harry felt loved by each and every one of them. Hermione had already made reservations for a musical play – another first for Harry and the other girls – which they all enjoyed very much in the afternoon. They continued their celebration with a big chocolate cake that Thimble prepared, as well as some delicious ice-cream, and finished the day as usual, with another series of intense copulations. Harry considered this to be one of the best days in his life, rivaled only by the day he found himself married to his three sexy, gorgeous, beautiful and loving wives. He made sure to thank each of them with words, first, and then with explicit actions, making them enjoy it no less than he did.

They thought it was time to pause the public investigation concerning the minister and turn the spotlights somewhere else, not to antagonize the minister too much until Sirius was acquitted of all charges. Harry met Rita the day after his birthday. "I want you to check some of Malfoy's doings since Voldemort's demise, along with those of other supposedly imperio'ed death-eaters."

Rita seemed quite enthusiastic to do this. Harry wondered if she liked to fight corruption or simply to find anything others were trying to hide. He was glad that she was working for him now, remembering just too well his previous experiences with her.

Sirius gave himself in a few days later, in front of many reporters and photographers that he specifically invited to report on this. It was a kind of safety measure, in case the minister changed his mind. He arrived to the Ministry, accompanied by his Godson – Harry Potter, and his solicitor – Andromeda Tonks.

His trial took place the next week. Harry and Hermione sat in the audience on the first row. Ron, whom Harry asked to come along, sat with them while Susan and Daphne sat with the Greengrass family, a bit farther. Nobody could suspect anything unusual about the teens.

Although it took many hours, it was basically a straight-forward case. Sirius's memories and his testimony under veritaserum proved him innocent of all charges, incriminating Peter as both the betrayer and the killer, as well as for framing up Sirius. Testimonies by the aurors who had caught him then, only supported this. Eventually, Sirius was declared innocent, his social and political positions reinstated and he was even offered some monetary compensation for his time in Azkaban. It was a kind of anticlimax, when Sirius hugged Harry with tears in his eyes, and the moment was recorded by multiple photographers.

Harry invited Sirius to stay with his family for the night, but Sirius preferred to stay with Andy and her family. "I don't want to be in your way," he said, winking at him. Luckily, Ron didn't hear any of this.

Harry and Hermione only escorted Ron to the floo before the other wives joined them. They were going to celebrate Sirius's freedom at home, in bed.

With Sirius free, Harry refocused on the minister, not leaving alone the other investigations. Rita was working hard and liking every moment of it, as piles of evidence against most of her subjects were accumulating.

They visited Amelia bones for the next weekend, giving the stern woman a chance to show her motherly side. They still had to answer a lot of questions, but they were all asked in good faith.

They spent the next weekend at Greengrass Manor.

"We've also invited Madam Bones and the Grangers," Mr. Greengrass informed them as they arrived, using the floo. Harry felt Hermione's reaction through their bond – she was very glad to have her parents around. Susan seemed quite as glad to see her aunt. Both girls, although now married women, still enjoyed the company of their closest family.

The only thing that bothered Harry was actually Daphne's sister – Astoria – who proved to be quite a pest, trying to find some more about Harry's adventures, as well as seeking for more details about the marriage, which nobody wanted to tell. Still, Astoria enjoyed being related to The Boy Who Lived, and was smart enough to know that Harry was much more than that unwelcome title.

The Grangers were fascinated. "Do all magical families live this way?"

Hermione smiled. "Not all of them. The Weasley have no house elf and their house is quite small, barely adequate for the family, although they do own a large terrain around it."

"The Weasley are quite poor. They're the poorest family among the old ones, although they once were quite prosperous. Some other branches of the family still are," Mr. Greengrass noted.

"But magic can give you practically everything," Mrs. Granger said.

"Not quite. Magic has limits. One can't create gold with just magic and even most foods can't be created with magic. It does give us some advantages, but not as many as non-magical folks tend to believe. For that matter, most magical people think that living without magic is awful, yet most of the world does just that and people are happy and prosperous and achieve great things."

Harry was surprised to hear such an opinion. "I thought..." he started.

Mr. Greengrass stopped him. "My family likes the traditional way, but we do most of our business with muggles and we're very aware of their way of life. It's not better or worse. It's just different."

Hearing this made the contract signed between his parents and Daphne's more understandable.

They had another surprise, when the floo flared after dinner, bringing Lord Black for a visit. "I'm sorry I couldn't join you for dinner. There's so much to do, after having the family business neglected for more than a decade!"

Harry was enthusiastic to see Sirius free and happy, as was Hermione, and Sirius hugged them both as if they were his children. The weekend turned to be the happiest Harry could remember for a long time, with all his in-laws and with his godfather. Even Astoria couldn't change that feeling.

Urged by Sirius, the Potters spent the rest of the summer vacation on visiting their various continental holdings: a castle in Normandy, a villa near Nice, a beach-house at Ibizia and a cottage in the Swiss alps. The girls enjoyed the beaches, where they could wear only miniature bikinis, like most of their age-mates, making many young men envious of the boy who seemed so close to them, not knowing the four were married.

They returned to their apartment on Diagon Alley for the last few days of the summer vacation. Hermione made sure that they all did their shopping for school, and were ready for the new term.

* * *

 **A.N.**

This chapter turned out too narrative for my taste, yet I found no way to correct this without turning it into two or three chapters with very little substance, so I left it this way. Hope you can still enjoy it.

And, as usual, _**Please Review!**_


	11. Start of Term

**11 Start of Term**

Harry felt quite content when boarding the Hogwarts Express. Although they spent most of the summer vacation just vacationing, visiting interesting places, staying with family, going to several beaches and having fun in other ways, they still managed to regain control of The Prophet, put Rita Skeeter to work on cleaning the ministry and freed Sirius. They had still not claimed their Wizengamot seats, as advised by Dumbledore, keeping that a surprise for its first scheduled meeting, a week after school started, nor had they removed the Hogwarts Board of Directors, for similar reasons.

Harry and his wives had lost a lot of the admiration they previously held for the old headmaster. They were now much more aware of his manipulations and his scheming, that didn't always consider the people involved, as their own marriage showed just too well. Still, he was a wise and knowledgeable man and a great resource in the coming war, although some of his tactics were far from perfect. They hoped that working together would allow them to get the benefits that Dumbldore could give them, while keeping at bay most of his other attributes.

They arrived to King's Cross train station early, occupying one of the compartments at the back of the train, where they could watch the whole platform. As the time approached, they saw Neville come in, then Draco, who looked paler than usual, with his two bodyguards, and soon most of the other students. As usual, the Weasley clan came last, barely on time to board the train before it started moving. It took some time until Ron found them. Opening the door, he first saw Harry sitting between Susan and Hermione. He wondered what that Hufflepuff was doing there, but didn't mind her too much. He then turned to put his trunk on the overhead rack and noticed Daphne sitting there, looking quite at home.

"What's this snake doing here?" he blurted, not even saying "hello" to his friends.

Harry responded coldly. "I see no snakes here. I'm sitting here with my three wives: Lady Hermione Potter-Ravenclaw, Lady Susan Potter-Hufflepuff and Lady Daphne Potter-Slytherin. Where have you seen any snake?"

Ron had difficulty understanding all that. It just didn't make sense to him. "Oh, knock it off! You can't really be married to any of them. We're all too young!" He was still standing, unsure about where it was right for him to sit.

Harry waved his hand, indicating for Ron to sit on the bench facing him, where Daphne was already sitting. Ron sat down, keeping as much distance from Daphne as that bench allowed.

"Do you remember that night both Hermione and I were missing?"

Ron nodded.

"It was that night that I magically wed all three. It was something orchestrated by Dumbledore without any of us knowing, but it turned out just fine, as we're now married and quite happy about it."

"But... You're only fifteen!"

Hermione took over. "Ron, you know that Magic cannot be bound by laws. Once some thoughts or deeds happen, Magic takes over, disregarding ages. Actually, getting married so young has the effect of emancipating us all, making us legally adult."

Ron still had difficulty wrapping his mind around this. "So, are you with Potter now? I thought we would start dating this year."

Hermione shook her head, smiling broadly. "I'm not WITH Potter; I **AM** potter now, as are Daphne and Susan. We're out of the dating game, although we may like a date with our husband, once in a while."

Ron was trying to digest the information. It had always been a slow process with him, much slower than with Hermione or even Harry. He looked at the girls once again. Susan was pressed at Harry's side, just as tightly as Hermione was on his other side. He glanced at Daphne. She didn't look like she was cross with anyone present, not even with him, and she was certainly beautiful. Still, she was a Slytherin. He didn't know what to do about that information. He just took it in, hoping it would all make sense to him sometime later.

Neville joined them a moment later. "Congratulations! Gran told me that her friends at the ministry had seen the records of your marriages. You really chose well!"

Harry smiled, a bit apprehensive. "Thank you, Neville. I hoped this information would stay secret for a bit longer, but... well, it will become public as soon as we move to the married lodgings after the welcome feast, I think."

Neville smiled. "I won't tell." He then turned to the girls, taking each one's hand and kissing her knuckles. "Congratulations, ladies. You've married a fine lad, yet be aware that he's a magnet for troubles."

That made Daphne laugh heartily, sounding like delicate bells. "We've already heard about his adventures, but we can make our own mischief, you know."

He smiled back. "Yes. The way you made the Prophet change attitude was really brilliant! And then getting Lord Black free. I wonder what else you have in stock."

It was Susan's turn to answer. "Just wait and see. You're sure to like it."

The news seemed to have reached others as well, as many more students came to peek in and congratulate the newly married. Not surprisingly, Draco Malfoy was not one of them. The ponce ignored them completely, which was just fine for Harry and his family, although Harry wondered what caused that, hoping it was not some dark scheming that would only manifest itself at school.

Draco was actually afraid. He had also heard about Harry's marriages and about his taking control of The Prophet, and like his father, he was not yet able to comprehend all the implications. He only feared he would lose his position in the Slytherin hierarchy.

Harry's first problem, when arriving to Hogwarts, was choosing where to sit. He admonished himself internally for not having this question tackled at home, even before boarding the train, yet his wives didn't seem to have any problem with that, as both Daphne and Susan walked forward to sit at the Gryffindor table. "Are you sure it's right for you to sit here?" Harry asked Daphne.

She smiled. "As your wife, I'd rather sit here, with you, than at the Slytherin table, where they're sure to badmouth my husband, at least."

Except for Ron looking confused, nobody seemed to mind the two additional girls at the lions' table. The table that interested Harry the most was actually the head table. Harry wanted to know who the new defense teacher would be. Dumbledore had already told them that Moody (the real one) had lost interest in teaching, after spending most of the previous year as a captive. Remus Lupin could not take the job either, as his affliction was now well known, making too many parents unwilling to expose their children to "such a dangerous creature". Yet the head table was almost empty, as if most of the professors preferred not to be present, not giving him the chance to see for himself who it would be.

Despite the noise, his thoughts roamed to the plans they had put in action just a day earlier.

Rita had come with several folders full of documents. She had ample evidence of bribery, misconduct and many more illegal or questionable practices at the ministry. Two of the folders were dedicated to the current Minister of Magic, showing him as a spineless politician who only acted under extreme pressure and only minded his own interests, namely- money and popularity. His decisions were usually based on who paid more bribes and on keeping away from anything that could cause some stir in the public. While his decisions concerning Sirius had already been severely questioned and proven wrong, when Sirius finally got his trial, Harry was now directing Rita to question the decision about ignoring Voldemort.

The first article was due that morning, with follow-ups published daily until the next Wizengamot meeting took place. Harry hoped that would be enough to help him bring some change, once he joined that body, along with his wives. Being preoccupied with his thoughts, he missed most of the sorting, noticing only when Dumbledore stood up to talk.

"A new year starts at Hogwarts. We all welcome the new students who have just joined us, and we welcome back the returning students. Before we continue with the feast, I'd like to introduce some of the staff to you, for the benefit of the new students. You all know our Transfiguration professor and my deputy, Professor Minerva McGonagall, who also heads Gryffindor house."

Minerva, who had just put away the sorting hat, nodded her head at the students as she joined the table.

"Already sitting are Professor Vector, for Arithmancy, and Professor Babling – Runes."

Both stood for a moment and smiled at the students.

"Joining us at the end of the table – Rubeus Hagrid – Care for Magical Creatures. And joining us on the other side, Professor Sybil Trelawny – Divination."

Hagrid waved his hand at the students and winked at Harry. The woman with too many shawls seemed not to notice, as she sat down.

"The head of Ravenclaw and our very own charms teacher – Professor Flitwick!"

The tiny professor, who was already at the table, stood up on his chair and bowed to the students.

"You all know and love Professor Sprout – head of Hufflepuff house and our expert at Herbology.

Professor Sprout joined the table, smiling at the students.

"I'm sorry that Professor Snape, our potions master and head of Slytherin house, could not be present tonight. Don't worry, he'll be here tomorrow in time for the first lesson."

There was no mistake about it – most students groaned, hearing that. Snape was not very popular, not even in his own house.

"For many years we had a ghost teaching history. Professor Binns has finally decided to pass on, so our new Professor for History of Magic is Sirius Black!"

Harry stood up, clapping enthusiastically. Sirius walked in, bowing with flourish to the students and winking at Harry, before he took his seat at the table.

"Last, but by no means least – you've all seen her last year, proving that a witch was just as good as a wizard in most cases. Our new Defense Professor is none other than Fleur Delacour!"

Harry jumped on his feet once again. Although Fleur didn't do too well in the tournament, he had come to appreciate her and he knew she was very knowledgeable in many ways, surpassing many older people. He only wondered what effect her Veela heritage would have. He still liked the idea of studying in her class. Fleur seemed a bit overwhelmed by the cheers. She smiled at the students and took her place at the table.

"And now – tuck in!" Dumbledore waved his hands and the plates in the center of the tables filled with all kinds of food, reminding everybody how hungry they already were.

"Did you know about Sirius and Fleur?" Hermione asked Harry.

"No. Dumbledore didn't tell me, and Sirius didn't mention it either. He did say he hoped to give me some surprise when school began, but I didn't imagine it would be this. Fleur was actually contemplating joining Gringotts. I wonder what made her change her mind."

Hermione looked pensive. Daphne also looked at the head table pensively and then smiled. "It would be interesting to watch the boys respond to her allure."

"Harry is immune to it," Susan said.

"How do you know?"

"Last year, I've seen what effect she had on most boys, yet Harry seemed not to feel it at all. By the way he acted, you could think Hermione was the part-Veela, not Fleur."

"I have no Veela blood in me. The goblins checked us all, you remember," Hermione protested.

"We know, but for Harry you are the most attractive girl in the whole world," Susan said. Both Harry and Hermione blushed at that.

"You two are just as attractive," Harry tried to reassure them.

Daphne smiled and patted his hand. "We all know..."

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	12. Wizengamot

**12 Wizengamot**

The Daily Prophet of that morning was waiting for them in the apartment Harry and his wives were allotted, quite close to the Gryffindor tower, but not too far from either Hufflepuff or Slytherin dormitories either. The main title was, " _ **Is The Minister Bribed To Allow He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named Return To Power?**_ "

The Potters had already heard all the information presented in the paper, yet they were sure that the article would make some waves. While not mentioning the resurrection of the Dark Lord, the article pointed at the budget cuts, especially those concerning security, the continuous lack of funds for aurors, the inadequate teachers at Hogwarts and some cover-ups – all pointing to the Minister allowing Magical Britain to become defenseless against any Dark Lord wannabe. While not directly accusing Malfoy as the one pushing this agenda, it did point at the large "donations" the minister was regularly receiving from many of the previous supporters of the dark lord, all of whom had never been interrogated under Veritaserum, yet escaped trial by claiming being under the "imperius" curse. It was also emphasized that none of that money ended in the Ministry's vaults.

Harry was glad that this time, it was all based on facts and all questions raised were fully legitimate, unlike what he had experienced before. It was a far cry from the articles published by Rita during previous years.

The teens enjoyed their new apartment. It was almost as large as the one on Diagon Alley, giving them all the privacy they wanted at times, yet allowing them to bring in some friends at other times. It even had a small library they could use while doing homework. Yet most important – it had a very wide bed in the bedroom, one giving the four of them ample space to sleep, or to engage in more entertaining activities. The girls seemed just too happy to get rid of their clothes and Harry's and then try all kind of bedtime entertainment.

They got the next Daily Prophet in the morning. It had many furious letters from readers, questioning the motives and the wisdom of the Minister, and other asking how so many Death Eaters, much too many, managed to escape justice. Nobody seemed to buy into the idea of "Imperio" as an excuse for joining the Dark Lord.

Harry glanced at the Slytherin table, noticing that Draco seemed much paler than usual and quite worried. "He probably has a reason to worry," Hermione told him. Harry nodded in agreement.

Still, as they started attending lessons, Harry almost forgot about politics, immersing himself in studies, trying to do his best to make his wives proud of him. Only Ron didn't seem to understand, as studies were the last priority on his list. "Why bother with studies when we still have the whole term before the exams?"

Actually, Harry was getting the impression that Neville was becoming a much closer and better friend than Ron. Neville joined them at doing homework and also at just rehearsing school stuff, activities that were alien to Ron. Neville was also very polite with the girls, unlike Ron, and tried to help Harry with every problem.

"Aren't you going to claim your Wizengamot position?" Neville asked that weekend.

"We're soon going to do that. We have more than the Potter seat to take."

Neville gave it some consideration and then gasped. "You're also going to claim Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw and Slytherin, aren't you?"

Harry smiled. "Peverell as well. It's surely going to cause some power shift within the Wizengamot."

"Six votes, along with your positions as heirs of the founders and you – The Boy Who Lived – that should cause a significant change, I'm sure."

"Will you help me, if I need help?"

Neville looked as serious as he could get. "I'm your ally, Harry. Longbottom and Potter stood together for many generations and I see no reason to change that. I'll do what I can to support you."

That was really comforting. Ron would have never been able to be as supportive, with his jealousy, his quick temper and his lack of thought. Harry was glad that Neville was becoming an even closer friend.

A few days later, they joined Dumbledore for their first Wizengamot meeting. They all took the Floo to the Ministry. Dumbledore led them to the spectators' benches. "I suggest you sit on the first row and then claim your position as soon as the meeting begins."

Dumbledore cast some spells to make them unnoticed until the time to act came. "It's better to not make your presence noticeable in advance and may also help you feel less anxious."

Soon enough, the hall was filled. Dumbledore took his position as the Chief Warlock, and once all present members were seated, he started the meeting. "I'm honored to open the first autumn meeting of the Wizengamot. Before we start with the scheduled discussions, does any member have anything to add to the agenda?" He furtively looked at Harry, urging him to act.

Harry stood up. "I, Lord Harry James Potter-Gryffyndor-Peverell, hereby request my rightful position as member of this austere body."

Susan stood up as well. "I, Lady Susan Potter-Hufflepuff, hereby request my rightful position as member of this austere body." She made sure to say the "Potter" part almost inaudibly.

She was followed by Hermione. "I, Lady Hermione Potter-Ravenclaw, hereby request my rightful position as member of this austere body." Like Susan, she also kept the "Potter" part almost silent.

Finally, Daphne stood up. "I, Lady Daphne Potter-Slytherin, hereby request my rightful position as member of this austere body." She also accentuate the "Slytherin", keeping the rest unnoticeable.

Some murmurs were heard in the Wizengamot, yet the audience seemed to burst with noise. It was quite unusual to have people request a position in the Wizengamot. Fout at once was unheard of. Dumbledore beat the podium several times to gain some silence. He then turned to the youngsters, trying to look serious, despite feeling quite happy about it. "May I see your credentials?"

Harry stepped forward, showing his Potter ring, his Peverell ring and the Gryffindor one, and each of the ladies presented her ring as well. Dumbledore acknowledgedeach rings with a grave nod.

"Very well, you may join the Wizengamot. Each of the ladies has one vote, while Lord Potter has three."

The minister couldn't sit quietly any longer. "That's preposterous! They're just children! This meeting is for adults!"

Dumbledore turned his grandfatherly face at him, talking as if the minister was a small child who needed education. "Can a child wear a Lord or Lady ring?"

"Of course not. Only the rightful Lord or Lady can wear them," came the expected answer.

"Would you like to verify for yourself that these rings are genuine?" He made it sound as if he was offended that the minister didn't trust him with that obvious task.

"No, but they are still just children!"

"The ministry has approved their marriages and their emancipation. Are you doubting your own administration?" A bit of humor was evident in his voice.

"Of course not. If they are really emancipated, then they may claim their seats. The ministry appointed representative will vacate these seats for them."

"Thank you, Minister." Harry thought that he heard a slight sarcasm in Dumbledore's tone, but he wasn't sure.

Six ministry officials left their seats. Dumbledore motioned the teens to sit in the vacated positions. As soon as they took their seats, Dumbledore read the agenda for the day. It was all mundane stuff, with nothing even remotely connected to fighting dark wizards or better enforcing the laws.

"Does anybody want to comment on this, to add any subjects?"

Somebody that none of the teens recognized stood up. "I wonder why none of these subjects reflects the concerns of the public, as they are clearly expressed in the Prophet. I suggest to add an item, preceding all other discussions, about the way the Ministry is preparing to combat any Dark Lord, should one arise."

Harry lifted his hand, "I second that."

Soon enough, about half the Wizengamot joined in adding that item as the first. The minister had no choice but to stand and try to make the best impression despite his lack of action.

"I've given this subject a lot of thought during the summer and I intend to appoint a committee to check the best way to tackle the problem. You must be aware of the limits imposed on us by the budget, that was approved before the current interest in security started, which only gives minimal funds to the auror division, barely enough to keep the current staff." Harry thought that the minister couldn't even convince himself of his sincerity.

"I'm sure some of the donors, who give money for the ministry so willingly, can help raise some funds for the protection of our citizens. Perhaps Mr. Malfoy and such others would like to help this important cause." Harry didn't know who said that, but it was certainly not someone from a dark family.

"And I don't think we need to wait for a committee to finish discussing the matter. Dark Lords don't wait for bureaucracy in order to act and neither should we," another voice said.

This was clearly not going as the Minister wanted it to go, yet even the Lords of the dark families didn't dare oppose what seemed to be an honest request for better security.

The teens spent the whole day there. It seemed that their six votes helped other light or "gray" members become more confident, as many ideas were discussed and many resolutions taken for the benefit of the people, most of them against the expressed position of the minister.

By the end of the day, it was Daphne who had a suggestion, as previously agreed. "With all due respect, how can we trust the ministry to fight dark lords if some of its employees support those same dark lords. We should purge the ministry of such employees, whose loyalty is not to the people. I suggest that each employee take an unbreakable vow not to knowingly support any dark lord in any form – by giving money, information or his wand, among other things. Failing to take the vow will result in immediate loss of the position at the ministry and the person should definitely be taken for interrogation under veritaserum as well."

Some of the wizengamot members paled. Not surprisingly, most were from dark families. They could not openly oppose this logical suggestion, though. Some tried to use procedural reasons to delay it.

"It seems like an exaggeration, Wouldn't a simple declaration, signed by the employee, suffice?" one asked.

"Would you agree to such a signed parchment instead of a vow when your own life is concerned?" Daphne retorted.

"It must be carefully phrased, or it may cripple the ministry, disallowing some legitimate actions as well," another commented.

"We should let the DMLE's experts tighten the phrasing, then," Hermione said.

The suggestion passed the vote, with most Lords of dark families not raising their hands neither for the suggestion nor against it. The decision was passed to the DMLE to act on.

Dumbledore stood up, to close the meeting, when Harry had another suggestion. "As the supreme governing body, I think it should be fair if all members of the Wizengamot take the same vow publicly, maybe even before the employees are requested to do so. We can't ask others to do things we're not ready to do ourselves."

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled with mirth. This was going much better than he expected, yet he put the suggestion to vote.

Once again it passed with no objections, although almost a third of the lords abstained.

It was a tired and happy group that returned to Hogwarts, way after dinner was over. The Potters were brought a full dinner to their apartment, though, and they all went to bed soon after. Despite the high mood, they were too tired to do much. They cuddled in a heap and fell asleep. Harry only had time to wonder what the next day would bring, before sleep took him away.

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	13. Vows

**1** **3** **Vows**

None of the Potters expected their presence at the Wizengamot meeting to have much effect at school, and it didn't – for a day – yet they were overwhelmed by the noise that welcomed them as they approached the great hall for breakfast, a day later. As they entered the hall, practically everybody was looking at them, and not all faces seemed friendly. That was not a surprise. What did surprise Harry, was the identity of some.

Malfoy and his supporters were clearly angry, as expected. Still, some Slytherins seemed quite content, barely hiding their mirth. Pansy, who no longer sat at Draco's side since the beginning of term, as well as Tracey, didn't look angry at all, nor was Millicent, who only looked pensive. Many sixth and seventh year Slytherins also seemed relieved, as did some of the younger students, although Harry doubted many younger children would understand the implications. He barely did.

There were some angry faces at the other tables as well, but only a few. Harry ignored them. He led his family to the Gryffindor table, as usual. He only noticed one angry face there. Cormac McLaggen actually glared at Harry with unmasked hostility. Harry wondered what made that boy act this way.

It became clearer soon enough, once the morning paper arrived. His uncle, Mr. Tiberius McLaggen, being quite high in the ministry's hierarchy, was among the first asked to give a vow, the day after the Wizengamot meeting. He felt offended by the request and promptly refused. This caused his immediate arrest for interrogation under veritaserum. The interrogation found him not guilty of any connection to the dark lord or his supporters, but also found some missing funds that were transferred to the McLaggen vault instead of their intended destinations. The man was now expected to spend a few years in prison. Harry couldn't honestly say he was sorry. Although this was much earlier than he had planned, he intended to clean the ministry of corruption, and Mr. McLaggen was only the first to be found.

Looking around, he saw that no Hufflepuff was glaring at him, although one girl was silently weeping, surrounded by her friends. He saw Marietta Edgecombe, whose mother worked at the ministry, looking furious, as well as a boy he didn't recognize. All other angry faces seemed to be Slytherin. He tried not to look too smug, but he thought things were really moving in the right direction.

The Wizengamot was called for a special meeting two days later. It was intended mainly for all members to publicly give their vow and get a report of how it was going with the ministry's staff. The Potters used the Floo, along with Dumbledore, yet made sure to arrive to the meeting room from different directions and at different times, to make their cooperation less evident.

Albus Dumbledore, as Chief Warlock, was the first to give the vow. Harry noticed that the initial wording, suggested by Lady Slytherin, had been modified by the DMLE to be even more encompassing, practically disabling any kind of cooperation with the dark lord by those who'd taken to vow.

The members were then called by alphabetic order, each giving the vow, while the ever-present press representatives documented it all. Some members, whom Harry recognized as coming from dark families, seemed less than happy to give their vow, but they all did it.

Minister Fudge then gave a verbal report of how things were going within the ministry, looking extremely unhappy. "About half the staff has already given the vow. Three refused. Two of them were found with a newly branded dark mark on their arms. The other was just offended by the request, yet his interrogation found him corrupt. He was actually stealing from the Minstry."

Just before the assembly was dismissed, Lady Hufflepuff brought another problem to its attention. "There are many people who move through the ministry who are not employees. Some are contractors, other are lobbying for one faction or another and some are donating money for certain causes. As these people have access to a lot of information and may also influence members of the staff, I suggest that they also give their vow or be denied access to the ministry, beyond what everybody has."

There were no objections to her idea, although some still seemed very uncomfortable about it.

/\/\/\

Lucius Malfoy was extremely worried. His Master called him, asking for an explanation about what was going at the Ministry. Lucius wasn't sure he had the full explanation, though, as he had lost most of his contacts there due to the vow. He also knew that what he needed to say would make the Dark Lord very unhappy, and that unhappiness usually showed as torturing the messenger with cruciatus. He wasn't looking forward to that.

Voldemort was holding the newspapers of the last few days. "Can you tell me what this new requirement is?"

"My lord, all Ministry's employees as well as Wizengamot members, were required to give a vow to never support any dark lord in any form."

"Why didn't you prevent it?"

"There was no indication hinting at this even minutes before it happened. It's all Potter's fault. He came to the Wizengamot, got his seats, along with some girls who seemed to have inherited old titles, and they suggested doing this to assure the population of the Ministry's integrity. Not even your loyal could find a plausible reason to object, before it was too late."

"The ministry is not known for thorough work. I'm sure they left many holes in it, allowing you to circumvent the vow." The dark lord sounded worried but not too angry... yet.

"The initial wording was set by Potter, and was tightened further by some experts. I've been going over it for days, and I still haven't found any hole."

"Give me the text!"

Lucius took the parchment out of his pocket and the Dark Lord snatched it from his hand. As he was looking at the parchment, his anger seemed to rise. "How could you let it happen? Crucio!"

When Lucius was finally allowed to leave, he was so beaten, barely able to breathe, that he didn't bother to tell his Master that he had been asked to soon give that vow as well. He knew he was doomed whether he gave it or not.

/\/\/\

Rita was enjoying herself tremendously. The corruption in some parts of the ministry was so ingrained, that people didn't even bother to hide it, making her work a snap. She enjoyed uncovering the deeds of some sneakier people even more. Malfoy was at the top of this list. She had all the information collected and sorted for quite some time already. Now she'd got the "go ahead" message from Potter and she was giddy with the excitement of airing all that dirty laundry.

It took the Prophet a few more days to cross check some crucial data and to mellow some of Rita's accusations, but once the first article was published, it was the start of a landslide. The first article didn't yet touch the top of the pyramid – namely Fudge and Malfoy. It dealt with some corruption at lower levels, where bribery let some get exclusive licenses for whatever they wanted to do, while others, although conforming with each and every regulation, were denied licenses. It didn't seem to be much, although the Malfoy name was present there, among many others.

Harry was quite impressed by the article, making Hermione smile. "It seems that she really likes airing dirty laundry, regardless of whom it might affect."

"She surely does," Susan agreed. "Aunty said it made her work much easier. Fudge is unable to restrain her, fearing for his own hide, and the public is demanding punishment for all those corrupting the ministry. Some officials even came voluntarily to tell her about bribes they had been offered, incriminating the ones who tried to bribe them."

"But Fudge is still the minister," Daphne noted sourly.

"Not for long. Rita is saving that article for the weekend, when it will have the greatest impact," Harry told her. "It's only a few more days from now."

Some people were feeling the ground starting to shake under their feet and fled right away. Flint and Pucey were missing two days after Rita started her new series, and Nott disappeared the next day. Draco Malfoy stayed, though, as did his body guards. Harry wasn't sure if the Malfoys were so sure of their position, too proud to flee or too stupid. "Lucius probably believes that his tight connections at the ministry can save him. He still doesn't understand the change," Daphne said.

Harry didn't mind it too much. Exile was just as much of a punishment as prison, and nobody could be sure to escape justice, once they returned from exile. He welcomed anything that could make Britain safer.

/\/\/\

Voldemort was feeling lonely. With only Wormtail for company, he couldn't even crucio him too much. He could no longer summon any of his Death Eaters. They had either given their vow, fled the country or got imprisoned. He barely had enough money for food, while his supposed servants continued their lives, ignoring him. That didn't go well with his self-image. He needed to do something about it.

Lucius was in his study, trying once again to find a hole in the wording of the vow that would give him some freedom to act, when he felt the wards collapse. He didn't need to wonder who did that. There was only one who could overcome his wards so easily – The Dark Lord. He barely had time to lift his eyes to the door before it burst open, revealing Voldemort.

"Lucius, you haven't come to my summons!"

"I couldn't, my Lord. Had I tried to come, I would have been stripped of my magic. Crabble wanted to join you, when you last summoned us. He lost his magic before he could even apparate."

"And why was that?"

"We all had to vow, as requested by the Ministry. Failing to do that would have not only denied us all access to our contacts, but would have also put us under veritaserum, for interrogation. You wouldn't want us to tell everything to the aurors."

That was more than the Dark Lord could accept. "Indeed, I can't take that risk. Avada Kedavra!"

He checked the pockets in Lucius's robes and the drawers in the desk, taking any money or valuables he could find, before apparating away, leaving only the dark mark floating over Malfoy Manor.

He then tried another. Macnair was not as rich or as well connected as Malfoy, but the dark lord could not afford to be choosy. Indeed, Macnair bowed low and seemed to be honored by the visit. He even offered some food and drinks.

"What can you tell me about that Potter boy?" Voldemort asked.

"I'm not sure..." Macnair hesitated.

"You can't be afraid of that vow, now that I'm here," his master urged him.

"Of course not, my Lord. Well, it looks like Potter got himself married..."

He was interrupted as he was engulfed in a bright flash. Once the light disappeared, Macnair looked much older than before. Voldemort was appalled. That flash had been all the magic leaving Macnair's body. He was now less magical than a muggle. "Can you cast a spell? Try Lumos."

Macnair lifted his wand and said the spell, but nothing happened, not even the faintest glow. He was useless now. Voldemort lifted his wand, killing the useless squib. He still took all he could before leaving the place.

/\/\/\

Dumbledore read about the two deaths and wondered. The dark mark meant it was Voldemort or one of his minions who was responsible, yet the victims were also his minions. Could it be the result of the vow? He had not given it much thought before, considering it only as a way to stop people from joining Voldemort. With the dark mark flying over the victims, even Fudge had to admit that Voldemort was back, before he would lose his position, which was now becoming a certainty.

And then, if Voldemort was killing his former supporters who had become unable to help him, was there anything Albus could do to save them? Were they even worthy of saving? Despite his public position on that matter, Albus knew that not every person could be redeemed. Some were so bad to start with, that nothing could help them. Was that true about Malfoy or Macnair?

As much as it hurt him to admit, he finally said it, if only to himself. "They're getting what they bargained for."

Harry was also contemplating the news, along with his wives. "I pity Draco," he said, making Hermione look questioningly at him.

"As bad as his father was, he was still his father, and Draco seems to adore him. Losing one's father is not something I wish for anybody." He then turned to the girls. "Are your parents protected well enough?"

"The wards on Greengrass Manor were set by the Goblins. No wizard can break them, so they promised," Daphne reassured him.

"Auntie has some of the best wards. She let several of her best aurors try to put them down and none could. Not even all of them, working together," Susan said.

"Dumbledore cast some wards on their house, but I'm not sure they're enough, and there are no wards on their clinic. Maybe we should do something for them." Hermione was quite worried.

"I think it's time for Lord Potter and Lady Potter to use some of their privileges and go to Gringotts to have it set. Let's do it immediately after breakfast," Harry suggested. "Do you think he knows about you?"

"We can't be sure. None of his former followers could disclose anything before being stripped of magic, and we made sure that only the relevant titles were mentioned in the paper, not mentioning the Potter name, except for you. I think he doesn't know yet, but being cautious is better than being sorry."

"Of course, dear. Besides, he probably knows you are my best friend. That may put you and your parents in just as much danger as well."

By the next afternoon, both the Granger house and their clinic had become virtual fortresses, without giving away any of their new fortifications to either muggles or wizards, unless using very specific spells. Harry felt much better knowing that his in-laws were well protected.

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	14. Robbery

**1** **4** **Robbery**

The next Wizengamot meeting had only one item on the agenda – replacing the incompetent and corrupt Fudge with somebody who could really lead to a better future. The Prophet had already exposed all the bribes he had been getting for years, his questionable relations with known Death-Eaters and the way he had acted within the ministry, as if he was above all laws and regulations. Once removed from office, he was sure to be interrogated by the DMLE and put on trial, probably gaining himself a long stay at Hotel Azkaban.

The Potters maintained low profile. Harry arrived with Susan, while Hermione and Daphne came in together, a few minutes later. They said nothing throughout the debate, only casting their votes as needed. Once Fudge was removed, they needed to nominate a new minister. Somebody suggested "Madam Bones," and soon enough she was elected by the majority of the Wizengamot, with only a few dark families abstaining.

Harry met her after the vote. "As much as I'm glad to have you in this position, I'm also worried. Voldemort may target you even more than before. I'd like to add another layer of wards to your home, if you allow."

Amelia Bones was touched by his concern. "What do you have in mind?"

"I was thinking about Goblin wards. Voldemort despises anyone who isn't a pureblood, and disregards the Goblins just as he disregards the house elves. This also means that he has probably not studied their magic and may not know how to overcome their wards. If I understand correctly, they cannot be overwhelmed by excessive magic – it only strengthens them further."

"So, you want me to augment my wards with Goblin wards?"

"Precisely. I'm willing to cover the cost as well."

Amelia waved that offer away. "The Bones family can easily cover the cost of some more wards, and if it would make Suzy happier, it's not too much of a cost."

A bit later, when Harry accompanied Susan to Gringotts to discuss the additional wards, one noticed his scar. "How long do you have that scar?"

"Since I was about one year old – more than thirteen years."

The goblin shook his head. "A normal scar, even one caused by dark magic, should have healed by now. There must be something there that prevents it from healing. Do you mind if we check it?"

"What do you expect to find there?"

"I don't know, and I'm not one of those who can check it, but our healers are quite good at healing curse scars, no matter how bad they seem. It may interest them."

Harry agreed quite reluctantly. He first finished the business of setting new wards for Amelia and then followed that goblin to the healers.

It only took them a few minutes to diagnose his scar. "There's some dark entity in there. It can't go into your head, as you're protected from it by some ancient magic, yet it can and does steal some of your magic to survive. Once we remove it, you'll feel more powerful and the scar will heal nicely."

Harry was eager to get rid of it. "When can you do it?"

"Right now, if you like."

The ritual to remove that dark entity took almost an hour, but when finished, Harry felt much cleaner, and the healers promised that his scar would heal completely in a matter of days. He only needed to smear some Essence of Dittany on it twice a day, until the scar disappeared.

"What was there in my scar?" he asked.

"A fragment of a soul, probably of the one who cast the curse on you. If a soul is fragmented so badly, it becomes unstable. We have some means to find the other parts of that soul and either unite them or destroy them, as we find most appropriate."

Harry thanked them and returned to Susan, who was waiting anxiously. "What took you so long?"

"They did some ritual, removing a dark entity from my scar. It should now heal nicely. Have you finished all the arrangements for the warders to come tomorrow?"

She smiled. "Aunty still thinks we may be overreacting, but she agreed to stay at home for the duration and to pay for the new wards."

This turned to be just in time. Voldemort appeared near the outer wards two days later, trying unsuccessfully to dismantle them, only leaving when a group of aurors approached. When Madam Bones checked the wards, she found them much stronger than before.

Harry was invited to Gringotts a few days later.

"We've found several more fractions of that soul. One was in a vault here, against our explicit regulations of not allowing any dark magic in the vaults. It was disposed of and the cleansed object was moved to your vault. We found the second fragment in a ring, hidden in the remains of the Gaunt house. It was also cleansed and moved to your vault. Another one was found in the Black home in London, and Lord Black was happy to have it cleansed, while his house-elf seemed enthusiastic about it. There's still one at Hogwarts, and we can only handle it if you permit us entry there. The other two fragments are in Voldemort's snake and Voldemort himself. We believe that once we get access to the fragment at Hogwarts, we shall have no problem with the snake. This will make Voldemort easier to defeat."

Harry didn't hesitate. "Well, you have my permission, and the house-elves will also help you, if needed."

The Goblins came to Hogwarts the next night. When they finished their job, about an hour later, they left Harry a very nice tiara, that had supposedly belonged to Rowena Ravenclaw. Harry gave it to Hermione, as she was Lady Ravenclaw.

/\/\/\/\/\

Voldemort didn't know what to do. He had depleted all the money he managed to steal from Malfoy and Macnair, yet he didn't feel powerful enough to rob some other magical families. He was actually feeling less powerful each day. Damn Wormtail! If only that wizard was a bit more competent he could send him to rob some money, yet he could barely count on the rat to do the grocery shopping correctly.

Voldemort knew he was in a greater trouble than he had ever encountered. With that damned vow, he could no longer count on his old followers, nor on anybody near the ministry. With no money, he didn't even have ways to entice new recruits. He could use Imperius for a while, only he wasn't sure how long he could keep it. People were known to have resisted that curse. It seemed like the only way to change his fate was to get some money. But how?

He contemplated robbing Gringotts. That place surely had enough gold to sustain him for centuries, yet it was very well guarded. He remembered trying to reach that vault where Dumbledore had kept the Philosopher's Stone. It was a nightmare, and it was eventually for naught – the vault was empty. The goblins had updated their security measures since, of that he was sure.

Well, there were also Muggle banks. They didn't hold much gold in there, but with some luck, he could buy gold with those phony paper notes. Besides, no muggle could stand the Dark Lord. He only needed to check some of their bank branches and decide on the best way of action. He wondered where his snake was hunting. That beast had recently become quite scarce. As a matter of fact, he hadn't seen it for more than a week. If only he could use the snake for the robbery...

Voldemort might have been patient as a young man, when he was still called Tom Riddle. As he grew more powerful, adopting the name Voldemort, he lost whatever patience he had before. Watching a bank for several days, learning the habits and the rules by which it functioned, was not something he was inclined to do himself. He sent Wormtail to check for him. That was still within that wizard's abilities. Barely so.

Based on those observations, he selected the branch to rob and made his plan. Unfortunately, a wand would not intimidate the muggles, although it could be a much deadlier weapon than a gun. He could transform his wand into a gun, but he disliked the idea. He would just transfigure something into a gun. He didn't intend to use it, really, so he didn't need to know about its innards. As long as it looked like a real gun, that was good enough. Wormtail had told him that there were very few clients at that branch during the morning. Voldemort liked striking at night, but he could do it during daytime as well. His program seemed full-proof.

/\/\/\/\/\

Mr. Granger liked to read the evening paper after returning from the clinic. It was kind of refreshing to read about whatever was there, after spending most of the day looking into peoples' mouths. He normally started his reading with the back page, where the most bizarre stories were printed. He was usually fascinated by the stupidity of some people or their weirdness. This was one of these days.

"Look what a stupid robbery," he told his wife, showing her the paper.

 _Today, at 09:12, a bank in Leeds was robbed. The robber, wearing black robes and what seemed to be a horrible face mask, came to the cashier, pointing a handgun and demanding to be given all the money in the vault. According to the bank's regulations, the cashier didn't argue. He took the large sac handed to him by the robber and moved to fill it. Pressing the alarm switch on passing. This new alarm system doesn't make any sound within the bank; it only sounds outside and alerts the police. It is intended to minimize the risk of unexpected actions by the robbers. The cashier filled the sac with the lowest value banknotes found in the vault and handed it to the robber, who demanded that a second sac be filled._

 _The police arrived well before the cashier could fill that second sac. Using the new, soundless rifles, they shot the robber on both knees and on his right arm. To their surprise, the robber didn't bleed. He just seemed to disintegrate. Some black smoke seemed to leave his robes as they collapsed to the floor. When checked, there was only an old bone, a rotten hand, evidently not connected to an arm or a body, and a small puddle of blood. The gun used for the robbery was found to be fake, and a polished stick of wood was found in the robes. The police also captured a fat rat that had a metal front paw. The cats at the police station took care of it._

 _None of the money was eventually taken. It is still unclear who or what that robber was._

"I think we should send this to Harry," Mrs. Granger said.

"Why?" her husband frowned, before giving it some more thought. He then smiled. "Of course, dear. Do you think that his owl would come, if we call it? What was its name?"

"I don't remember. It could have been Hagrid, or Dobby or..."

"What can Dobby do for the parents of The Great Harry Potter's Lady?" the small house-elf seemed enthusiastic to do something.

"Can you make a copy of the last page of this paper and take it to Harry?"

"Sure, Dobby can do!" Dobby clicked his fingers, making an exact copy of the whole paper. He then ripped the last page apart and put it in a small shoulder-bag he was carrying. "Don't you want anything else? Dobby can cook your meal and clean the dishes, if you like."

Both Granger adults laughed. "We really appreciate your offer, but it wouldn't seem right to have a house elf in a non-magical house, Dobby. Just take this to Harry, if you please."

"Dobby will do. Don't hesitate to call Dobby whenever you want some help," the little house elf exclaimed and vanished.

The Potter family was just returning to their apartment after dinner, when Dobby popped in front of them. "Harry Potter Sir, the parents of Lady Potter asked me to bring this." He handed the folded paper and vanished.

"I didn't know he was still here," Harry noted.

"And he was evidently attentive to my parents as well. I wonder how they even thought of calling him."

"I think they wanted to call Hedwig, but mixed up the names in my story. He's still a funny little chap..."

The four teens sat down at the table to read that page. It was Harry who noticed the remains: "Bone of the father, blood of the enemy and flesh of the servant – I believe it was Voldemort who tried to rob that bank."

"And Wormtail was with him, ending as some cat food, as he deserved," Hermione said fiercely.

"Yes, Voldemort gave him a metal hand to repay for his sacrifice. It probably turned into a paw, when in his animal form."

"So, do you think it's over?"

"It does looks like that way. Maybe we should show this to Dumbledore, to make sure."

All three wives wanted to come along. Dumbledore seemed quite surprised at seeing the whole group. "Is there anything I can help you with?"

Harry handed him the paper. "I believe this is the appropriate end," he said, pointing at the short report.

Dumbledore read it attentively, also checking the attached photograph. He then smiled. "Well, eventually you got rid of him, just as the prophecy said, although in a very different way than what I thought would happen."

"A prophecy?" all teens asked.

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	15. Tales

**15 Tales**

"A prophecy?" all teens asked.

Dumbledore smiled, relieved at not having to keep that a secret any longer. "There was a prophecy that predicted this, way before you were born. It goes this way:

 _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not... and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives..._

 _The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies."_

"Is that why you considered Harry crucial for defeating Voldemort?" Hermione asked.

"Indeed, Lady Ravenclaw. There was only another boy born close to that time that could have been the one, only he wasn't 'marked as his equal', like Harry was."

Harry thought a bit about the prophecy. "Well, he didn't die by my hand, you know."

"On the contrary, my boy. A prophecy is never very figurative. Although I initially thought that you'd have to confront him one-on-one, I came to the understanding that it could happen in other ways as well. 'By your hand' could mean anything that you did or initiated. In this case, I believe it was the vow that you insisted on, which removed all the support he was counting on. As a single wizard, regardless of how powerful he was, he could never account to much. He could do some damage, of course, but he would have been beaten, eventually, one way or another. Being beaten by Muggles is the ultimate revenge on him."

"But what happened? Why didn't he just die?"

Dumbledore turned serious. "His magic was probably quite weak since his resurrection, as he didn't get enough followers to use their magic for his own ends. He needed quite a bit of it just to keep his reconstructed body as a whole. The three bullets, that were by no means lethal, required too much magic to overcome, and once his body started disintegrating, there was no way back. Alas, I'm not sure that it's over yet. You see, Voldemort split his soul several times, creating some soul-anchors, to keep him on this plane of existence. That's the way he was able to return, and he may use it to come back again."

Harry shook his head. "No, he can't. The goblins offered to heal my scar and found a soul fragment in it. They used the retrieved fragment to find the rest and destroy all of them. It looks like Voldemort had not gained any friendship with them when he tried to gain power the first time around, nor since."

Dumbledore relaxed in his seat. "That's really good news. Now, with Voldemort finally removed, I can retire and enjoy the time that I may still have to do other things, knowing I leave Hogwarts in very capable hands."

"But we still have a lot to learn; We haven't even finished our studies here," Hermione protested.

"That's just a formality, Lady Ravenclaw. As you know very well, the four of you have already accomplished more than many wizards accomplish in a lifetime. I trust you and Harry to push the wizarding world forward, while Lady Slytherin and Lady Hufflepuff, will make sure that you don't forget our traditions on the way."

"So, what do you plan to do?"

"I'll stay until the end of term – it's only two months from now – passing all that I can to Minerva, whom I think you agree to make the next Headmistress, and to you all, as there's still a lot that I've learned during my time in this office and it's best if I pass it on. I also want to give you some of my insight into wizarding politics, although you seem to do just fine without it."

Dumbledore looked much more energetic than a few days earlier, even somewhat younger. Harry thought that having the burden of Voldemort removed could explain this. He also felt elated at finding that he no longer needed to think about Voldemort whenever discussing the future. He could finally think of the future not in terms of survival, but in terms of what he wanted to do and what he wished for his family. That was a refreshing change. 

It was a very leisurely year after that. Dumbledore passed his position to McGonagall just before the winter holidays, but decided to help with teaching transfiguration while coaching her into her new role, along with Harry.

The Potters spent the winter holidays with their families, spending a few days with each. Harry was well accepted by them all, and celebrating Christmas with a loving family was a new experience for him.

Dumbledore came for a visit during the Christmas day, holding a small package. "This came from our muggle cover address," he said, handling the package to Harry.

It was a small box, wrapped in colorful paper. The small note carrying the address was written in a very untidy handwriting, making Harry wonder who the sender might be.

"I checked it for any magic before bringing it to you. It has no trace of any danger. You may open it," Dumbledore assured him.

Harry tore the wrapping paper, finding the box to contain a new cellular phone. There was also a note attached.

 _"Happy Christmas, Harry!_

 _I know we haven't been on good terms until you last left the house. I had a lot of time to think of that since then. I wanted to apologize for the way I've been treating you since we were babies. I can now understand that it was all due to my parents. Whenever I tried to be nice to you, they would frown, while acting nastily towards you brought their approval._

 _This seemed to change during last summer. Mom started crying after learning you won't be returning. She seemed both relieved and frightened. I didn't understand, at first. It took me half the summer to understand that she actually wanted to see you and make sure you were fine, as you're all that she has of her sister. She didn't say it, but I think that she actually loves you in some unusual way. Dad was mostly relieved, although I think he also misses you, or maybe only the chores you used to do. Now we need to do them all ourselves._

 _Anyhow, I hope you're well and happy. Please accept this present, as I'd really like to talk with you. I've put my own mobile number in there, so you can easily call me._

 _Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you and your friends, from your cousin, Dudley._

 _P.S. Mom helped me buy this after I got my own phone from Dad. She didn't ask for whom it was, but I think she knew."_

Harry felt quite bewildered. Was this really the same Dudley he had always known? The letter seemed sincere, and he could imagine that uncle Vernon was not too pleased to have to do some of the chores that Harry had always been doing, at least during the summer vacation. He couldn't imagine his aunt caring for him, nor Dudley, for that matter. He looked at Hermione questioningly. She smiled and nodded. 'You should call him,' he heard her voice in his mind. He put the note on the table, motioning the other girls to read it, while he opened the package and read the instructions.

A few minutes later, after having played a bit with his new phone, he reluctantly dialed Dudley's number.

"Harry! Is that really you?" he heard.

"It's me, alright. It was quite a surprise to get this present from you."

"I'm glad you got it. I wasn't even sure of the address, you know, although Mom said it was the right address. How are you? Are you well?"

"I'm fine, really. Last year was quite stressful, but it ended mostly alright, and it's getting ever better since."

"But where do you live, when not in school, now that you don't come here?"

Harry smiled, and it carried through his voice. "I have a few places to choose from, actually. I spent most of the summer in my apartment in London. I'm spending the winter vacation with my in-laws, though."

"In- laws? As in… married? Aren't we too young for that?" Dudley sounded really confused. Harry could imagine Dudley's face at hearing such news. He assumed he wouldn't have reacted much better in Dudley's place.

"Well, yes, I'm married. It happened just before the summer vacation. I was left alone with three very attractive young ladies and ended magically wed to them all. While we're too young for marriage in the normal world, the magical world has different laws, if only to account for what magic may do – like in this case."

"Wow, man! You're married to three girls? That's… well, it could be nice, I suppose, but it really frightens me. I'm not sure I'd know how to act with one wife, and you have three?! Wow!"

There was a momentary silence. Dudley seemed overwhelmed by the news, and Harry wasn't sure what to say either. Dudley finally made up his mind. "I'd really like to meet you and your wives, Harry. I don't think I can even comprehend this until I can really see it with my own eyes. Can we meet somewhere?"

By now, all the girls were standing close to him, listening attentively. He looked at them and they all nodded. "We can meet wherever you want to," he said.

"I wouldn't suggest meeting here, although you know the address well. I can meet you in London, if it's alright with you."

"Where would you suggest?" Harry was already well acquainted with the city, but didn't need to brag.

"The train reaches Paddington station. Any nearby café or even a fast-food outlet can do. Let's meet there, near the ticket office, and proceed together."

"Alright. Tomorrow at ten?"

"Sure! The train should arrive a few minutes earlier, so I'm likely to be waiting for you, but wait for me, in case the train is late, will you?"

"We'll wait for you in that case. See you tomorrow."

They met the next day, as agreed. Despite the phone conversation, it was still weird, at first. Dudley was waiting near the ticket office. As they approached, Harry noticed that his cousin was already almost the same size as his uncle. Dudley noticed him and seemed relieved and anxious at the same time. "You've come," he said, as he stepped forward, closing the distance between them.

"Of course! We've agreed on that."

"I still wasn't sure. I'm not sure what I would have done in your place."

Harry smiled. He liked this "new" Dudley much better than the old one. "You would have done the same, I'm sure. Now, you've not yet met the girls. These are Hermione, Daphne and Susan. Girls, this is Dudley. We can make the formal introductions once we're in a more appropriate place. We've noticed a nice café only a block away. Would you like to sit there?"

Dudley seemed a bit overwhelmed. Harry looked much more confident than he had ever seen him. The girls looked lovely. He really wanted to get to know them and hear some more about his cousin. "Wherever you'd like to sit, it's alright with me," he said.

A few minutes later, they were sitting at the café, after having joined two tables to make room for the five of them. They also felt better without the heavy winter coats. Harry waited until they had all ordered before making the introduction. "I'm going to use the titles of Lord and Lady, but they don't have the same meaning you're accustomed to. Ladies, this is Dudley Dursley, my cousin. Dudley, these are Lady Hermione Potter-Ravenclaw, née Granger, Lady Daphne Potter-Slytherin, née Greengrass and Lady Susan Potter-Hufflepuff, who also keeps her Bones family name. I'm now Lord Potter-Gryffindor-Peverell-Slytherin on my own right, and Lord Ravencalw-Hufflepuff-Bones through my wives."

"Wow, man! That's quite a list of titles you've got! Do I need to know anything about them?" Dudley was highly impressed.

"Well, each title has a story, and they mean quite a lot in some circles, but I don't think they should bother you. I'd like you to get to know the ladies, though, and I think we all need to get to know each other better. You've certainly changed since I last saw you."

Dudley grimaced. "Do you mean I'm fatter? I've started eating healthier since summer vacation, but it doesn't seem to make me lose weight."

Harry took a good look at his cousin. "No, you're not fatter. I dare say you're even slimmer, but you've probably grown much taller recently, just like I have. You also look more muscular."

Dudley smiled. "I'm training three times a week, while at school."

Harry acknowledged this with a nod, but continued talking. "I think that the main difference is in the way you act. You're more mature now, I think."

Dudley smiled. "I hope so, at least. The more I think of it, the less I like the way my parents treated you. I hope we can overcome that and become the family we should have always been."

It went quite smoothly after that. They spent some time talking and getting to know each other. Dudley's sincerity became clearer. He knew he wasn't very smart nor fast thinking, and he tried his best to become a better person despite everything else. When they accompanied him back to the train station, they were all friends.

"I would have spent more time with you, but Mom insisted that I come home for lunch," Dudley apologized.

"My parents were also concerned about lunch," Hermione added. "Luckily, they have their work to occupy them, so they had to accept our promise that we'd take care of it."

"We may not be able to meet again during the winter holidays, but I really want us to meet again. May I call you?"

Hermione gave it a moment of thought. "You can call us while on vacation. I don't think you should call when we're at school. I doubt there's any reception there, and the phone may not survive the magical environment."

Dudley shrugged. "I'm not even allowed to bring a mobile phone to school. Will you take the Easter vacation?"

Harry looked at his wives questioningly. None seemed to know. "We don't really have an Easter vacation – it's more like an extended weekend. With the time it takes to travel, almost everybody stays at school. We'll be in touch during the summer vacation, though."

"Fine. I hope to see you more often during the summer." Dudley shook hands with Harry and then surprised him by giving him a quick hug. He then shook hands with the girls and moved into the train station.

Harry felt quite content after the parting from Dudley, feeling that his cousin was finally becoming the family he should have always been, and maybe his aunt as well. He was looking at his future with more hope than ever before.

* * *

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	16. Pranks

_**1**_ _ **6**_ _ **Pranks**_

With Voldemort gone, the Ministry under a new leadership and the school with a new headmistress, Harry thought that he would finally be able to relax. He didn't consider the fact that Sirius was now at school. While he had mostly escaped teasing during the first semester, mainly due to Sirius being busy with his new job and the Potters being occupied by politics, the second semester didn't offer these escapes. Sirius was already feeling comfortable as a teacher and the political arena, although still very active, needed no special attention from the youngsters.

Sirius made it a habit to come for a visit at least twice a week. Harry enjoyed the first few visits, seeing how the former fugitive was gaining his health and healing his spirit. Then, once the "old" Sirius was back, his marauder attributes shone through, especially when not on teaching duty. Sirius was quick to band with the Weasley twins, harnessing their talents to further tease Harry, and not sparing his wives either.

What started as just benign friendly teasing, soon escalated into a kind of war. Harry and his wives, as the ultimate authority at Hogwarts, couldn't afford to retaliate similarly to how they were treated. One of the four, usually Hermione, would keep a level head even when the others were reaching the boiling point.

And then Sirius crossed the boundary. It started as usual, with one of the twins' inventions – this time it was a cream that would make the victim grow feathers wherever it touched their skin. They had managed to switch one of the cosmetic creams in the Potter apartment with this, and Hermione happened to use it first. She was still a bit drowsy, after spending half the night copulating, and her thighs felt a bit sore. She thought that some calming cream could help her. A moment later, Harry and the other girls heard her scream of frustration, and then her declaration, "If that's what they want, that's what they'll get! We're going into full war mode!"

Harry rushed into the bathroom, finding Hermione with feathers on her thighs and on her fingers. He tried to make them go, but none of the spells that he knew had any effect. Hermione grabbed his wand and muttered a few more spells until she found one that did the trick. She marched out of the bathroom looking frighteningly determined, despite her nudity.

"Since we control Hogwarts, there's no reason to allow anybody to treat us this way. I don't mind a bit of teasing nor an occasional prank, as long as that's not too often, but **this** is more than we can allow, as it is an invasion of our privacy in the most scandalous way."

His wives' war committee was something that would make Harry shudder for years to come. Each came with schemes and plans that would make Sirius and the Twins look like amateurs. Harry contributed a bit as well – he wasn't a marauder's son for nothing, you know.

They started by making their apartment inaccessible to anyone, even to the house-elves, unless they were escorted by a Potter, to make sure that such a mishap won't happen again. Being the masters of Hogwarts was very helpful, as they could instruct the castle and the magic within it would only react to them.

Once that was done, they got dressed and went for breakfast in the Great Hall. Sirius was sitting with the twins at the Gryffindor table. The Potters chose to sit opposite them. Hermione smiled sweetly at the three pranksters while greeting everybody "Good morning." Nobody seemed to notice the gleam of mischief in her eyes, except for Harry.

The three girls seemed to whisper and giggle, the way most teen girls do, although this was highly atypical of these girls. Sirius started teasing Harry by asking, "Had an enjoyable night?"

Harry shrugged it off. "I slept, as usual. Nothing special about that."

"Didn't you do something more enjoyable before sleeping?" Sirius pressed on.

"I don't consider homework to be more enjoyable," Harry retorted.

"Not even when I'm with you?" Hermione seemed to join the teasing, just as planned.

"Well, everything is more enjoyable when you're with me." He didn't need to fake it; that was how he really felt. This made Sirius and the twins start laughing. Fred made smooching sounds while George mimicked caressing his body sensuously, making others laugh.

With the three pranksters too busy to notice, the three Potter girls cast some spells under the table, each aiming at her selected victim.

The teasing died away soon enough, as everybody needed to attend classes. Sirius had to put on the teacher mantle and the twins, despite their public image, were quite serious about learning everything that could help them in going to business. They seemed a bit uncomfortable when they stood up, but nobody seemed to notice.

They met again at lunch. The Potter girls looked quite happy, but that could be said of neither of the twins nor of Sirius. They evidently had something inflating their clothes under their waists and on their arms. Sirius chose to take some of the food at the teachers' table and eat in his office. The twins couldn't do the same. Harry thought that he noticed some white feathers peeking from their sleeves, but he wasn't sure.

By dinner time, it became very evident. Students were talking about the feathers on Professor Black's neck and how he tried to ignore them. The twins had evidently been seen by others while trying to rid themselves of the feathers.

"They are covered by feathers from the waist line down to their knees and also on their chests and their arms. Even their fingers seem to start getting feathery," Colin told whoever wanted to listen. He also promised to have pictures available the next morning.

The twins were waiting near the entrance to the Potter apartment. "We know it was one of you who did this. We tried everything we could, but nothing worked to rid us of these feathers. Please help us."

"And why should we? You didn't mind letting us grow feathers anywhere, did you?" Hermione asked too sweetly.

"Those would have vanished in half an hour or so. These seem to stay permanent," Fred whined.

"And they really make us scratch all over," George added in a similar tone.

"I still see no reason to help you. What can we gain by it?"

Fred and George seemed to consult with each other, although no sound was heard. "We shall stop pranking you for the rest of this school year," Fred suggested.

"Good, but not good enough. How about... no pranks and no teasing until we all finish school?"

Both teens grimaced. They clearly didn't want to restrict themselves this way, but staying covered with scratchy feathers was not an attractive alternative.

"No pranks until you finish Hogwarts and no teasing for the rest of this year?" George suggested.

Harry thought this wasn't a bad alternative. By the next school year, his marriage would become old news, no longer worthy of any teasing. Hermione seemed to have the same idea.

"Fine, but you'll have to swear this before we act, or your tendency for pranks may overcome your promises," Hermione stated.

The twins were quick to swear and then Hermione waved her wand at them, whispering the spell so quietly that nobody could hear. It took a few seconds for her spell to act, making the feathers disappear and the twins seemed to feel normal again.

"Oh, boy. If that's how your wives react when unnerved, I'm glad I'm still a bachelor," Fred told Harry.

"They also react quite strongly when properly loved, and that makes me glad I'm married," Harry added in a slight teasing tone. "Still, you know that Hermione, as well as Susan and Daphne, can become quite scary when angry. Make sure to never anger them."

Sirius didn't surrender so easily, though. For two more days he became more and more feathery and looked quite frustrated, especially since he could hide his condition no longer. Even his face started sprouting feathers. Eventually, he asked Harry to remove the curse. "I know it's you, as nobody else could do this. It is a marauder's work, I'm sure."

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I only served as a decoy, to hide the real perpetrators of the spell. I don't even know what spell they used or what the counter-spell is. You'll have to ask Hermione."

Sirius's surprise was evident. "Hermione – the rule abiding bookworm?" He then smiled. "I knew there must be some more to her than that, or she wouldn't have gained your love. Just like Lily, she deserves to become an honorary marauder."

"You'll have to tell her in person, or stay feathered," Harry told him.

Hermione wasn't so easy on him. Unlike the twins, who would leave school in two years and start their own business, Sirius was supposed to stay close, being Harry's godfather. She wanted to assure he behaved, no matter what.

"You'll have to vow for no pranks and no teasing until our children finish Hogwarts."

"That's unfair! How will I be able to teach them the Marauder Way if I'm not allowed to demonstrate it?"

Hermione expected his protest. "Well, no pranking or teasing any member of our family. You may still prank the twins, if you dare, although as a teacher, that would be a very irresponsible behavior, probably making the owners fire you."

Sirius looked beaten. "So, even if I prank them, I still lose. That's very unfair!"

"Unless done during vacation, of course. Now, will you take the vow, or do you like your feathers?"

Sirius sighed dramatically. Hermione gave him the exact phrasing of the vow, not trusting him to say it right if not dictated to him. Sirius was clearly not pleased, seeing how much he would be restricted, but he had no choice. Grudgingly, he gave his vow exactly as requested, and Hermione rid him of the feathers a moment later.

At least they had no such problems with the defense teacher. Fleur proved to be very serious as a teacher and very good at teaching. Wearing robes, as customary in Britain, she didn't even look too enticing to the male students, and she was careful to keep her allure under strict control. The only times she let it flare were when visiting the Potters, as Harry was immune to her allure, and Sirius acted quite comically when hit by it.

"I thought that the eldest Weasley boy caught your attention last year," Hermione noted.

"Oh, William and I are friends. We see each other every other week, when I have a free weekend, and I really like him. I'm not sure where that may lead, though. His mother is not too fond of me, and he can't stand my allure. Maybe I need to look further. You are lucky to have found your man so early, you know."

"We had some help, or we may have still been unable to act on our feelings, you should know," Hermione told her.

"Well, it was still lucky. Even if I eventually marry William, I will probably wonder for the rest of my life if I could find somebody more suitable. Actually, there were moments I thought that Harry was the one, but the way he acted with you made it clear that he wasn't."

"You know he has two more wives, don't you?"

"Of course, but he could live without them. He couldn't live without you."

Daphne, who sat besides them, couldn't refrain from asking, "How do you know?"

"Well, my Veela ancestry makes me able to discern some things other can't. I see the love you all share like some luminous connections between you, yet the one Harry shares with Hermione is different and is much more powerful than any bond I've seen. Still, even his bond with you or with Susan is stronger than most marriage bonds. You can feel proud and content for being loved so strongly."

Daphne smiled. "We really are."

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	17. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

The crowd at platform 9¾ parted politely when the Potter family arrived, escorting their eldest children for the first ride on the Hogwarts Express. This was more of a ceremony, as the children had practically grown at Hogwarts, it being the main Potter residence since their parents got married. It was mainly a ceremony for the other children as well. Hogwarts had changed tremendously since the Potters took control of the school. It was now an example of modern education, combining regular high-school studies with the magical subjects that had been its trademark for a millennium. Its classes had been modernized, using the latest technology, both magical and mundane, to give the students the most beneficial learning experience. About half its staff was Muggles or squibs, teaching the regular subjects. There was no longer any Muggle Studies class, as it had become redundant.

A few years after Dumbledore stepped down, every Hogwarts graduate could be easily accepted into any college or university. The muggle institutes didn't know Hogwarts was magical – they only knew it was a very good private school, whose graduates were welcome in the academic world.

The magical world also changed, as a result. Younger people liked using cars for transportation, using magic to make them reach their destination much faster. They also liked to listen to the radio and watch television – both had been made available due to some spells that allowed these instruments, along with computers and cellular phones, to work in magical environments – all designed by the Potter ladies.

Fashion also changed. While robes were still used in official situations – like Wizengamot meetings – most magical people used clothes indistinguishable from their muggle age-mates, except for the older generation, that was stuck in its customs.

Hogwarts Express was one such relic of the past. It was used only for the beginning of the year and the end of year rides. Every student was handed a reusable portkey along with the Hogwarts letter, usable for travel between home and school. Students were also given the choice of attending Hogwarts as a day-school only, yet most preferred the boarding school option.

"Do you remember our first ride on this train?" Lady Potter asked her husband.

"I sure do. I was lonely and frightened. I felt lucky to befriend Ron. And yet, the most memorable moment on that ride was when a certain bushy-haired girl came searching for Neville's toad."

"And my most memorable moment was the one when I met a raven-haired boy with a scar on his forehead."

"All I can remember of that ride is Draco talking non-stop about his father, something I'd really like to forget," Daphne said.

"Well, I spent most of the ride talking with Hannah, whom I hadn't seen much during the summer. We barely had time to catch up with each other," Susan said, smiling at the memory. She was still very close with Lady Hannah Longbottom.

The four children at their side didn't even listen to their parents talking. James Gryffindor-Potter and Charlus Slytherin-Potter were busy planning their first prank as Hogwarts students. Lilly Ravenclaw-Potter, James's twin, was half listening to their plans while scanning the platform looking for any potential new friends of both genders. She knew her siblings would eventually turn to her to consolidate their plans. John Hufflpuff-Potter was also listening to his brothers, but he had already spotted a nice dark-skinned girl and wondered if he could make the hat sort him to the same house as her. He was quite sure that if she was sorted first, it would pose no problem.

They met some friends on the platform. Teddy Lupin, accompanied by his parents, was quick to spot his friends and join them. Harry grimaced internally, knowing that he would need to stay extra attentive to these children, as they were clearly going to make the Weasley twins pale with envy.

A beautiful blonde joined them as well. Victoire Weasley was certainly showing her Veela heritage, making most boys turn their heads after her, despite being only eleven. As they were moving towards the train, another Weasley came running. Rose, daughter of Ron and Lavender, was quick to join her friends. Another redhead was already calling them from one of the windows, "Come here! I saved us two adjacent compartments!"

Lilly looked at her and smiled back. "Just wait until we say our goodbyes. You know that nobody can beat your Dad in coming early, not even my mom." The girl was Percy's daughter and inherited all his good qualities along with her mother's beauty and kind heart.

Harry looked around, noticing a large blond man withhis slight, dreamy blonde wife saying their goodbye to their daughter. He smiled at the sight. It was purely ironic that Vernon's son would marry Luna Lovegood. Dudley lifted his head and winked at Harry. They would catch up later, waiting for the train to arrive, as Dudley was now teaching at Hogwarts as well.

There was a whistle. The adults herded the children into the train, giving them last moment instructions. Harry stood back. In a few hours he would meet his children again, this time as their headmaster. Despite the concerns and the difficulties he could already anticipate, he felt content. He looked at his wives, each an accomplished professor and a devoted mother, He thought of his other children who had gone earlier that morning to grade school or the kindergarten and would be back home before the train arrived. He felt his heart overflow with emotions and hugged Hermione tighter.

The slight breeze made some hair fall over his eyes. He brushed it away, touching his forehead. His scar, now barely visible, had not bothered him for many years, practically since he got married. All was well.

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